Jury Verdict Hassell has created a heraldic structure
which acts as a gigantic people mover,
celebrating arrival and acknowledging
departure. As the portal to the Olympic
village, home of the Sydney Royal
Easter Show and many other gala
events to come, the building had to be
impressive and significant, yet reusable
as a suburban railway station once the
2000 Olympics were over. This
dichotomy has been resolved by the
decision to place most of the functions
below ground level.
The building works on several levels.
The roof, with its arching trusses,
employs a cathedral-like vault with
columns soaring the full height of the
building. Importantly, when handling the
numbers of people expected, there is a
sense of being urged forward; with all
stairs, escalators and ramps impelling
visitors onwards and upwards towards
the light and a dramatic sense of
arrival. There is a restrained use of
colours and materials, with uncluttered
open planes and surfaces.
The building celebrates the return and
continuation of the great tradition of rail
buildings and stands as an Australian
‘foyer’ introduction to the Olympic
Games experience. This is an entirely
satisfying, optimistic building;
comfortable in its late twentieth century sensibility, a mature blending of
contemporary materials and technology:
a gateway to the future.
Access Citation
The station imparts no hierarchy of
transit styles and provides equitable
access to all user groups. Disabled
access is excellent with ample lifts and
ramps and textured floors. It employs
tactile indicators for the visually
impaired, undercover queuing space
and full lighting for clear and direct
traffic flow. The open, promenading
quality promotes a legibility of purpose
which adds to the celebration of
special events.
The design places most access
functions below ground level, the
vantage point from which the arrival is
made and the first impression received.
The building successfully handles the
problems of different crowd-control
situations with a flexible entry and
exit system.
This bold solution has been structured
entirely towards achieving the excellent
access required for extraordinary traffic
of up to 50,000 passengers per hour.
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Olympic Park Rail Station, Homebush, NSW
Architects Hassell—design architects Ken Maher,
Rodney Uren; project team Robin McInnes, Geoff
Crowe, William Smart, Andrew Cortese, John
Woodman, Mano Ponnambalam, Vanessa Yee,
Adrian Gotlieb. Developer Olympic Co-ordination
Authority. Structural Engineers Tierney & Partners.
Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and Hydraulic
Engineers Connell Wagner. Landscape Architects
Hassell. Acoustics RFA Acoustic Design. Quantity
Surveyors Page Kirkland Partnership. Project
Manager and Communications Gutteridge Haskins
& Davey. Signage Emery Vincent Design. Builder
Leighton Contractors.
Photography Peter Hyatt
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