History

The original site was once part of the first railway that opened in Australia in 1855. It was vital to the trans­port of Australia’s coal, shale, timber, wheat and other produce. The use of the line declined due to increase of road trans­port and plans for a new seaport. Its rail opera­tions shut down in 1984. The Goods Line has since been an isolated, discon­nected and forgotten part of the city. In 2015, it was revi­ta­lised as a conduit for 21st century industry, provi­ding social infra­struc­ture to the thri­ving inno­va­tion economy.

Located in down­town Sydney, The Goods Line reim­agines the disused rail corridor as a leafy, ener­gised ‘public campus’ in the heart of one of the most densely popu­lated, urba­nised and form­erly discon­nected parts of the city.

This unique 7,000 m² elevated city park forms a row stra­tegic link from Sydney’s Central Station through to China­town and the Darling Harbour enter­tain­ment and leisure precinct (Sydney’s play­ground). More than 80,000 tertiary students, locals and visi­tors are linked to the many major attrac­tions of Darling Harbour, with 26 million visi­ting annu­ally. The Goods Line creates a people-focused address to various cultural, educa­tional and media insti­tu­tions which line its length.

The brief

The original brief for The Goods Line called for:

• An inte­grated linear park.
• Safe pede­strian and cyclist access.
• Upgrade the overall land­scape, amenity and character of the area.
• Provide local univer­sity students with a level connec­tion between the Broadway and Haymarket campuses.
• Incor­po­rate envi­ron­men­tally sustainable initia­tives, and heri­tage inter­pre­ta­tion.
• Create a special desti­na­tion.

The project involved a whole of govern­ment plan­ning solu­tion, brin­ging toge­ther both local and state govern­ment orga­ni­sa­tions as well as private insti­tu­tions and stake­hol­ders. The Goods Line is a model of parti­ci­pa­tory design and gover­nance by the agen­cies and autho­ri­ties which have been invested in its deve­lo­p­ment. As such, a site-specific gover­nance model was deve­loped for The Goods Line to ensure that the commit­ment to ongoing acti­va­tion is an embedded and endu­ring part of the project and provi­ding a best-prac­tice example of multi-agency manage­ment.

The Goods Lines’ unique decision-making process was highly inclu­sive and colla­bo­ra­tive. A stee­ring committee chaired by the landowner/government body (client) inclu­ding repre­sen­ta­tion from other key landow­ners along its length and the lead design consul­tant was estab­lished prior to the design process commen­cing. Key decis­ions regar­ding funding, ongoing cura­tion of programming, and design reso­lu­tion were presented to the stee­ring committee in an ongoing process which ensured co-owner­ship of ideas and effi­ci­ency of process. 

The cultural insti­tu­tions which had direct invest­ment into The Goods Line project also have premises with direct access to the site have come toge­ther over the project.

Reco­g­nising the critical need to have broad commu­nity owner­ship and under­stan­ding of the project, the design team under­took a compre­hen­sive approach to enga­ging the commu­nity. Several methods were applied to capture critical feed­back from a broad cross section of commu­nity key stake­hol­ders. The project invited commu­nity to provide their feed­back on the sche­matic design approach.

An open session took place on site mid 2012 with valuable feed­back captured from the public. A report based on the findings was deve­loped and deli­vered, outlining key lear­nings and requi­re­ments and informing design outcomes. 

Strategy

The stra­tegy behind the design of The Goods Line was to create a strong civic spine and estab­lish a range of oppor­tu­ni­ties for people to come toge­ther, inhabit, occupy and use the space in a variety of ways — respon­ding to the demo­gra­phics of the area and to provide choice.

There is a strong over­ar­ching narra­tive in the design reve­aling the trans­for­ma­tion from a rich indus­trial history to one of social inter­ac­tion, crea­tive indus­tries, and the promo­tion of inno­va­tion. By embra­cing unique, inters­persed modes of heri­tage inter­pre­ta­tion, the rich history of The Goods Line is reve­aled and at the same time a new iden­tity is created for the precinct.

The Goods Line is an example of the poten­tial for design to trans­form isolated city spaces into crea­tive and connected public desti­na­tions.

The ‘Social infra­struc­ture’ such as blea­chers, seats, an amphi­theatre, Wi-Fi faci­li­ties, a play­space, ping pong tables and raised lawns support the burgeo­ning public life of this part of the city. Bespoke seating and furni­ture hark back to the site’s indus­trial heri­tage while the blurred boun­da­ries along its length are desi­gned to faci­li­tate pop-up events and festi­vals, injec­ting a sense of commu­nity in a previously disused urban expanse. Pede­strian and cycle connec­tions are formed, unlo­cking access to exis­ting streets and neigh­bour­hoods that surround the park, knit­ting Sydney back into its surroun­ding city fabric.

Sustainability

Sustainable approa­ches inclu­ding inno­va­tive use of mate­rials and reinter­pre­ta­tion of the site’s history work to protect, enhance and rege­ne­rate the area and give a strong sense of place.

By fabri­ca­ting the majo­rity of mate­rial (precast concrete) off site and using advanced digital fabri­ca­tion, drawings and coor­di­na­tion, the project ensures mini­mi­sa­tion of waste and demons­trates its commit­ment to sustaina­bi­lity. The project mini­mised cut and fill by laye­ring a new ground plane and as a result preserved the heri­tage rail tracks and avoided any damage to the under­ground power cables.

Envi­ron­mental values and processes are cele­brated through reused water, and recy­cling.  Water Sensi­tive Urban Design (WSUD) initia­tives enable The Goods Line to achieve the objec­tive of 80% potable water consump­tion reduc­tion. Water effi­cient solu­tions, such as plan­ting choice are included along the length of The Goods Line. Inlet pits have been concealed within garden beds, enab­ling storm water to natu­rally irri­gate the drought tole­rant, low water use and (majo­rity) native/indigenous species. Where addi­tional run off drai­nage is required, grated steel drains are inte­grated within the language of the precast concrete plank ground plane.

By retai­ning critical elements inclu­ding the Ultimo rail bridge and rail infra­struc­ture, and re-purpo­sing others, the project has demons­trated inno­va­tive approa­ches to desig­ning with respect to the past. The design utilises the robust mate­rials asso­ciated with its rail infra­struc­ture past – gravel, concrete, steel, and timber. Original brick was salvaged and the site is fused with contem­po­rary and sustainable elements, rein­for­cing the legacy of the site.

Colour and texture

The native, site specific palette of plants which are set in gravel along the remnant rails are hardy, yet bring colour and texture to the post-indus­trial site. The reten­tion of exis­ting trees was critical to the project, illus­t­ra­ting the sustainable approach to the design. The Goods Line was pains­ta­kingly planned and executed with ‘Study Pods’ that canti­lever over the adja­cent city street posi­tioned between the canopies of exis­ting fig trees offe­ring working and social spaces for students, workers, and visi­tors. By inte­gra­ting land­scape into built form, a resi­lient envi­ron­ment using urban gree­ning is created for a more envi­ron­men­tally and soci­ally sustainable city. The project contri­butes to Sydney’s green spine quota and uplifts the health and well­being of the local commu­nity and the greater city by crea­ting wide reaching connec­ti­vity and move­ment oppor­tu­ni­ties.

The history and cultural heri­tage values of The Goods Line have been inte­gral to the trans­for­ma­tion and revi­ta­li­sa­tion of this signi­fi­cant piece of rail infra­struc­ture. The gritty indus­trial character and the toil of indus­trial labour have been conveyed through the design and mate­ria­lity of the project and the inter­pre­tive initia­tives.

The Goods Line plays a much more important role than just being a new green space in the city. The Goods Line is a public plat­form for show­ca­sing the cultural rich­ness and inno­va­tion of the commu­nity it supports. As a new spine for the area, it galva­nises the diverse social commu­nity.