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Balfour Street Park, Chippendale, NSW

Landscape

A RICH WEAVE

The Balfour Street Park project created a small-scale neighbourhood park within a diverse commercial and residential enclave in Chippendale, providing a breakout space for workers and residents.

Balfour Park uses a rich weave of brick, stone and concrete. Brick is used as a decorative medium in a series of colours and patterns, inspired by the adjacent brewery buildings, workers terraces and old factory buildings that form the park’s historic backdrop. Concrete elements complement the textured brick surfaces, echoing the modern insertions throughout the neighbourhood and bringing a contemporary feel to the park.

The central feature is a brick swale that acts as a collection point for stormwater from adjacent streets. Unique lighting along the swale provides interest through the park both during the day and at night. The brick swale curves gently down from the pavement level into a traditional half pipe shape, which breaks down along its length into a mini wetland.