Sydney industrial area to be revamped following design excellence competition

A design scheme featuring six buildings and an outdoor plaza has emerged as the winner of a design excellence competition, with the proposal now set to be built in the Sydney suburb of Five Dock.

The design competition invited architecture and design practices to submit concepts for a new residential and mixed-used precinct on Parramatta Road named Kings Bay Village. The proposed project seeks the renewal of an underutilised former industrial area into an activated and livable community with increased housing options, including affordable housing.

Competition participants were required to extend on a precinct masterplan that was developed by Canada Bay Council in 2021.

Sydney architecture practice Turner was named the winner of the competition, in conjunction with Arcadia Landscape Architecture. The jury commented that the winning proposal is one that clearly delineates different zones for different purposes.

"The scheme expresses a clear idea about differentiated character and activation across the precinct in the land use, plot size, and street front. From finer grain, active retail and public domain in the west, there is a clear and rational transition to the quieter residential and service zones to the east," the jury said.

"The calmness of the William Street park is established by its design as a simple 'village green' to counter-balance the extensive paved areas throughout the site and locality."

The winning scheme includes six buildings with 890 dwellings; 14,700 square metres of commercial and retail offerings, and 6,500 square metres of public open space, including a large new public park at the corner of William Street and Queens Road.

Turner directors James McCarthy and Dan Szwaj said the public domain will prioritise pedestrian movement and flow through the introduction of new streets, laneways and green corridors that link to Parramatta River.

"The precinct will be inviting and highly permeable, creating links through and across the wider precinct," McCarthy said. "The architecture speaks to the rich history of the industrial and warehousing uses in the area, and takes inspiration from the vernacular of the local brick facades, fenestration, and roof profiles."