A portion of Sydney’s CBD is getting a much needed facelift as part of the $2 billion Central Park/Broadway development, in a joint venture agreement between Frasers Property Australia and Sekisui House Australia Holdings.

Billed as a mixed-use urban village, the 5.8 hectare project is close to Central Station and a host of education institutions including the University of Notre Dame, UTS and the University of Sydney – some of whom are major investors in the project. It will eventually house around 1900 apartments, including student housing, a hotel, a multi-level retail centre and a commercial office campus. Key heritage buildings, namely the former Carlton & United Breweries site, have been retained and will be restored, safeguarding the area's cultural heritage.

Dream Team

In terms of the design team behind the project, the list of international architects involved is a veritable who’s who, with Foster + Partners, Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Frank Gehry and vertical garden innovator Patrick Blanc all on board. Local contributors come in the form of Johnson Pilton Walker (Master Planning), PTW Architects (One Central Park), Tzannes Associates (Brewery Yard Precinct), Tonkin Zulaikha Greer (Kensington Lane Precinct) and Smart Design Studio (One Central Park), amongst others. Outstanding architectural features that caught our eye include a light-directing cantilevered heliostat and Australia’s first Frank Gehry building – a controversial treehouse-inspired creation for the UTS.

Tri-Generation Plant

The project’s developers are highlighting the sustainability of the venture, striving to be 'the city’s most sustainable urban community’ and will feature ‘a precinct-wide tri-generation plant for the provision of electricity, chilled and hot water as well as a water treatment facility’, that will recycle sewage and storm water for use by residents.

Demolition and early infrastructure works commenced in 2008. Construction is currently underway on the first residential stage, dubbed ‘One Central Park’, whic is due for completion by mid 2013.