As eco-awareness spreads through the city, sustainable artwork is here to stay.
Green Square is an urban renewal project that will see the development of a village between Sydney airport and the city centre that incorporates residential, retail, commercial, transport and sports facilities.
For such a mammoth project, an equally mammoth carbon footprint usually follows. Public art curator in charge of the Green Square project Amanda Sharrad is happy to explain that in this case, it won’t.
‘The overall design of the town centre as a hub in the midst of medium density residential development, close to transport corridors, means that the daily carbon footprint of those living and working in and around the town centre is greatly reduced, in contrast to the more traditional suburban sprawl of Australian cities and our reliance on the car,’ explained Sharrad.
In fact, the City of Sydney’s draft village plan states that together the Sydney Park and Green Square Town Centre re-use projects could annually save nearly 1,000 million litres of stormwater, which is the equivalent of around 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
This focus on ecology and sustainability extends into the Drying Green, a recreational part of the development that will take the form of a village green with soft landscaping elements. Sustainable practices will be embedded into the design of this area such as the diversion of stormwater to be treated and reused in the town centre.
‘Elements such as the treating and reuse of stormwater are important sustainable aspects of the design of the town centre and public domain areas,’ said Sharrad.
It is expected that public art within the area will incorporate this focus on sustainability. The City of Sydney, City Art program has released expressions of interest for approach proposals, and the onus is on the artist to devise an ecologically sound idea that will have a positive impact on the surrounding environment.
For artists eager to focus on an ecological theme they may choose to communicate environmental data in a visual way or creatively interpret the recycling of stormwater. This could be through events, temporary repeated works or a permanent structure. This will be in a mix of permanent and temporary commissions.
This focus on sustainability is not limited to the Green Square project, but is wholly embraced by the City of Sydney in other projects, such as the call for artwork in the George Street and east-west connecting streets.
Put simply by Lord Mayor Clover Moore, ‘Environmental sustainability is now a given in everything we do.’
For more information read the Green Square Public Art Strategy, the City Centre Public Art Plan, or visit the City Art site.
