A Landscape of Stories

In September 2023 the City of Parramatta opened the new Parramatta Aquatic Centre after several years of planning and community engagement.

Built on Mays Hill, the impressive circular construction by Grimshaw & ABA Architects provides sweeping views over Parramatta Park and the city, on a site that is steeped in Aboriginal and colonial history, connections and stories.

Image: Parramatta Aquatic Centre photo courtesy of Peter Bennetts/Grimshaw.

OUR
SOLUTION

Artefact produced a Heritage Interpretation Strategy for the Aquatic Centre with City of Parramatta, which was curated and designed by Supersense in collaboration with the Dharug Specialist Cultural Panel who integrated the interpretation within the Centre’s pools, buildings and landscape.

Working with City of Parramatta and the Dharug Specialist Cultural Panel, Artefact developed key stories and a range of interpretive concepts that explored the colonial history of the site and surrounds, and the deep connection to Country by the Aboriginal community.

The interpretive approach focused on ‘Points of View’ and ‘A Landscape of Stories’– providing conceptual and physical opportunities to experience the different significances of the site and landscape from both Aboriginal and colonial perspectives.

A main feature of the Strategy was the range of interpretive media types, providing engaging and accessible experiences for the diverse range of visitors who would visit the Centre.

Interpretive elements included:

  • Artworks by Aboriginal artists, including eel sculptures entwined within the gabion walls of the entrance way, an integrated wall feature of the Dharug story of, ‘Five Moons and Eels’, frog designs embedded within the Leisure Pool, and the use of Dharug language in naming spaces.
  • ‘Parramatta Swims’ – a collage of historic images of Parramatta’s swimming culture for over 100 years.
  • Interpretive panels around the upper, outer rim of the pool complex providing context for views over colonial Parramatta, encouraging conversations about truth telling.
  • Landscape geometry and native plantings that are reflective of earlier uses of the site.

SUCCESS

The interpretive elements integrated throughout the Centre provide engaging stories of the history of the site, Parramatta’s love of swimming and the significance of the place for Aboriginal people.

These elements add to the community’s positive experiences of the new Centre, which welcomed over 300,000 people in its first five months of operation.

Parramatta Aquatic Centre recently won the 2024 NSW Architecture Award's Sulman Medal for Public Architecture and was also awarded an Urban Design Award.

“It was privilege to work on such a significant project, in such a significant location, developing key heritage stories and interpretive concepts for this multi-layered site, which were beautifully brought to life through Supersense’s designs.”

Carolyn MacLulich,
Principal - Heritage Interpretation

Image: Photos courtesy of Supersense and Peter Bennetts/Grimshaw.


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