Sub Base Platypus Urban Renewal, this now decommissioned historical site in Neutral Bay was the former torpedo factory, submarine base and gasworks.
The works undertaken are best described by Lauren Nissen Senior Associate at Aspect Studios “The final stage of the public domain, constructed by Co-ordinated Landscapes, includes the Courtyard, Arrival Square and Gateway Plaza. The Arrival Square and Courtyard capture the stunning views across the bay to Kurraba Point, providing sheltered and welcoming spaces to pause and appreciate the site’s architectural heritage. Local native plant species are used in innovative ways – from the suspended ‘U’ planters to the climbing trellises from industrial, circular planters – to create a beautiful backdrop to the space and to reintroduce biodiversity to the site after over a century of industrialisation.”
Co-Ordinated Landscapes craned in mature Ficus ribiginosas (Port Jackson Figs) and Livistona Australis (Cabbage Tree Palms) recycled from another building site. An important part of the transplant was keeping their orientation. Other works included street furniture, bins, bike racks, a drinking fountain and security bollards.
The site is managed by Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and the Bondi to Manly Walk transverses the site.