Parramatta Park Pavilion
2022 Darug Country / Parramatta, NSW
A restaurant pavilion sits in harmony in its historic park setting.
A popular cafe is severely damaged by fire in 2016.
From the shell, a new 300 seat restaurant has burst into being within the same footprint – salvaging and reusing all the remaining fabric.
A Thoughtful Bridge Between Past and Present
A sensitive approach balancing preservation and sustainable renewal.
The restaurant and public amenities connect with the river and its extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage-listed landscape setting. The key driver for the design was to maintain the footprint of the former cafe building so as to avoid disturbance of significant Indigenous and early European artefacts. Reuse was also critical – the slab, walls, bricks, many steel windows and doors and some roof trusses were all recycled.
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“Open and welcoming, the building has large steel-framed windows and doors and lofty pitched ceilings, which provide natural light and clear views of the park and river and the burgeoning city of Parramatta in the distance.”
The translucent roof at the south-western end is cantilevered out to create an additional outside covered eating area, increasing dining capacity and giving shade from the afternoon sun.
A strong entry portal is a marker in the landscape, providing a visual link through the building to the river, and mediating between two gable roof geometries. The oversized threshold welcomes, gathers and directs patrons, and frames the view of a large fig tree and the river beyond.
The restaurant sits on the site of former dressing sheds (also destroyed by fire) for river bathers dating from circa 1912, when the prohibition of public bathing was lifted. It overlooks ‘Little Coogee’, a former swimming and picnicking spot on the Parramatta River banks. And connects to cycleways and walkways in the park.
The park is located in the lands of the Burramatta clan of the Darug people with ongoing connection for the Indigenous community. The Darug people called the area Burramatta (“Burra” meaning eel and “matta” meaning creek), and themselves the Burramatta. The site is rich in artefacts evidencing thousands of years of Indigenous habitation and remains of high cultural value. In addition it is one of eleven sites that form the ‘Australian Convict Sites’ World Heritage listing, and contains the oldest remaining public building and oldest remaining workers cottage in Australia.
Awards & Recognition
2023 Good Design Awards
Winner for Architectural Design
2023 AIA NSW
Shortlist for Commercial Architecture
2023 AIA NSW
Shortlist for Sustainable Architecture
Parramatta Park Pavilion Gallery
| Project info | Details |
|---|---|
| Team | Sam Crawford, Louisa Gee, Ken Warr, Allen Huang, Caitlin Condon |
| Builder | Grindley Interiors |
| Consultants | Structural Engineer: Partridge Hydraulic Engineer: InLine Hydraulic Services Mechanical Engineer: Evolved Engineering Electrical Engineer: Lighting, Art + Science Landscape: McGregor Coxall Section J Consultant: BCA Energy Quantity Surveyor: Z & L Consulting PCA: Anthony Protas Consulting |
| Client | Parramatta Park & Western Sydney Parklands Trusts |
| Photographer | Brett Boardman & Parker Blain |
| Interior Design | Nic Graham & Associates |
| Awards | 2023 Good Design Awards – Good Design Award Winner, Architectural Design 2023 AIA NSW – Shortlist for Commercial Architecture 2023 AIA NSW – Shortlist for Sustainable Architecture |
| Published | Dezeen, December 2022 InDesign Live, December 2022 Architecture&Design, December 2022 ArchitectureAU, August 2019 |
| Completion | 2022 |
What we do
Urban & Public
We design public buildings and civic spaces that foster community connection, cultural expression and a sense of belonging. From libraries to public domain projects, our work is shaped by purpose, context and collaboration. These are places designed for people, built to enrich the cities and neighbourhoods they sit within.
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