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Sydney CBD and South East Light Rail
One of the most transformational projects of public life ever undertaken in Sydney, the CBD and South East Light Rail project combines a new mass public transportation system with a 12-kilometre-long linear public domain upgrade that runs through the heart of Sydney. As the project’s lead urban designer and landscape architect, ASPECT Studios carefully stitched the works into the existing urban fabric in a way that responds to the character and nuances of each precinct.
George Street has been returned to pedestrians, and now acts as an active transport spine threading through the centre of the city.
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TRADITIONAL OWNERS & ONGOING CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND Bidjigal (Bedegal) and Gadigal People of Eora Nation
Client Transport for NSW, ACCIONA
Location Sydney, Australia
Year 2014 - 2019
In the CBD, ASPECT oversaw the transformation of George Street, creating a tree-lined boulevard free of overhead wires, and the creation of traffic-free pedestrian areas between Hunter and Bathurst Streets. The result is a world-class retail, dining and active movement spine that conducts peoples through the city.
At Circular Quay, public spaces were reengineered to provide for seamless interchange between light rail, heavy rail, and ferries, with new connections to events at Moore Park via Chalmers Street, and interchanges at the Kingsford and Randwick termini.
New community spaces were created throughout Surry Hills, with streets closed to traffic to form pocket parks that prioritise pedestrian amenity. The passenger-focused design of the stops – designed by Grimshaw Architects – and their seamless integration with the public domain provides an integrated and enjoyable transport experience.
ASPECT Studios provided a comprehensive set of services throughout the project, including in urban design, design development, documentation and construction design services.
AWARDS 2021 AILA National Awards - Landscape Architecture Awards for Infrastructure
2021 AILA NSW Landscape Awards - Award of Excellence for Infrastructure
2020 AIA NSW Architecture Awards; The Lord Mayor’s Prize
2020 AIA NSW Architecture Awards; Urban Design Award