Recent visit to Memory Park at Hazelbrook provided a stark reminder that landscapes need time to establish and fulfil the designer’s vision

Completed in 2014 the reconstruction of Memory Park had a chequered history. During the upgrade of the Great Western Highway between Woodford and Hazelbrook the park was closed to the public and used for storage a construction material. Temporary loss of the park was significantly extended when the highway upgrade contractor went in to liquidation. Local residents were understandably anxious to ensure that Memory Park was completed as soon as possible and made a positive contribution to the open space opportunities in the village. Consultation with the local community and Blur Mountains City Council was responded through the design and documentation process.

Positive feedback received by Council since the park was re-opened confirms that the expectations of the local community have been successfully met.

During a recent visit to the park we were very pleased to see the landscape maturing with new trees starting to define spaces throughout the park and reinforce the enjoyment of moving through the park or stopping to enjoy the new landscape setting. The connected system of terraces, ramps and stairs designed to deal with the strongly sloping site provide a diverse range of view opportunities. In addition the pedestrian ramp connected to a new pedestrian bridge over the highway provides an unusual perspective of the park.

The photographs provide a good illustration of the diverse views through the park as well as from the pedestrian ramp and bridge.

- click here for project information

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Koala Habitat Establishment, Pacific Highway Upgrade, Wardell, NSW

A recent visit to Ballina on the north coast of NSW provided an opportunity to visit a 130 hectare area of new Koala habitat west of Wardell that Corkery Consulting was involved in. The project formed part of the Pacific Highway upgrade and provided a rare opportunity to contribute to the creation new habitat to support one of Australia’s iconic wildlife species, which is under increasing threat of extinction. It was particularly gratifying to see stands healthy trees beginning to provide new habitat for local Koala communities and a corridor connection between significant areas known habitat.

Gulgong Holtermann Museum, Photography Exhibition

On a recent visit to Mudgee we decided to visit Gulgong on our way back to Sydney. While I was aware that images of the town are featured on the original $10 bill issued in 1966, it was a very pleasant surprise to learn that the images the $10 bill were from the Holtermann Collection and that the recently constructed museum presents that portion of the Collection that comprises 350 historic images of Gulgong during the gold rush in the second half of the 19th century.

Nundle

Turn-off signs to Nundle appear at a number locations along the New England Highway south of Tamworth. While we had noticed the signs on numerous trips between Sydney and Uralla it was not until early this year that we visited Nundle. Located east of the highway and about 56 kilometers south of Tamworth the village of Nundle requires a detour to visit, so we decided to spend a night there to allow enough time to explore the village and surrounding landscape. The visit turned out to be a very enjoyable one that gave a delightful sense of discovery.

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Salesforce Transit Centre Rooftop Park, San Francisco

On a recent trip to San Francisco I took the opportunity to visit a new rooftop urban park located on top of the Salesforce Transit Centre located in the central business district that incorporates a bus interchange and provision for a future high-speed rail station below.

Designed by PWP Landscape Architecture the 2.2 hectares rooftop park is about 440 m long and 50 m wide. Inclusion of the rooftop park was a key element in the winning architectural design by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects (PCPA).

Scottish Highlands Landscape Experience

A quick look at a topographic map of Scotland reveals the strong and clear pattern of mountains, valleys, lochs and coastline that form the landscape framework of the country. I was fortunate to travel with my family in the Scottish Highlands in September last year for the first time and experience its spectacular landscapes.

Old Rangoon

Until fairly recently access to Myanmar, known as Burma until 1988, presented a difficult challenge after decades of military imposed isolation. However, the country is gradually opening up to foreigners and I was fortunate to recently visit the capital Yangon for a project in the central region of the country. Formerly known as Rangoon, the city is one of mystery and intrigue partly created by the period of isolation but also the cultural layers that have been created over centuries. One of those layers involved Hokkien, Cantonese and Hakka Chinese traders who settled in Rangoon during the 1800’s. However the dominant layer was created by British Colonial rule, which fundamentally changed the physical and social fabric of the city.

Myanmar Pagoda Construction

Pagodas are visually prominent elements throughout the landscape of Myanmar, earning the country the title "Land of Pagodas”. While pagodas feature prominently in several cities, including Yangon, Mandalay and Bagan they also occur commonly in rural areas.

On a recent visit to central Myanmar I was very fortunate to be able to visit a new pagoda under construction and walk though the internal spaces.

Waverton Coal Loader and Henry Lawson

Located on the western side of Waverton Peninsula, the Coal Loader presents a curious relic of heritage infrastructure with an overlay of contemporary urban landscape treatment. Set in the context of Sydney Harbour and the bushland environment of Balls Head, the site was originally a place of physical and spiritual sustenance for Aboriginal Australians.

Cornell Tech Campus, Roosevelt Island, New York City

One of the great experiences of the New York Subway system is that you can enter it from the context of one urban area of the City and then pop out in another urban space that has a totally different character.

On a recent visit to New York I left the rather undistinguished urban setting of 14th Street and 6th Avenue, descending to the subway and soon after popping out at street level on Roosevelt Island in the middle of the East River. Walking out on to the street I was confronted by the dramatic juxtaposition of the East River in the foreground and Manhattan skyline beyond, with the massive steel structure of the Queensboro Bridge looming above.

Domino Park, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC

Located on the edge of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, Domino Park is the outcome of a large scale urban redevelopment of the former Domino Sugar Factory site. The 2.4 ha Park forms another new open space on a former industrial site that provides public access to the East River waterfront alongside the Williamsburg Bridge opposite Manhattan.

Walking towards the waterfront park through the dense urban fabric of Brooklyn the spatial experience is dramatised by views that open up between buildings and extend across the East River with the massive steel structure of the Williamsburg Bridge above.