Art exhibitions and small-scale community events will be able to share a unique part of the state’s history with the City of Sydney restoring the interior of one of the brick kilns at Sydney Park.
The Sydney Council last night voted to approve the revised scope of the transformative works at the site, which will also improve park access, stabilise the structures and create a more welcoming, publicly accessible space.
The internal space in Down Draught Kiln 2, near Sydney Park Road, will be available for a small number of community gatherings and City of Sydney events each year.
Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore AO said: “This is the largest intact precinct of brick kilns in the state and opening up a small part of it for art exhibitions and other community events is a fantastic result for our communities.
“But this work is about more than just the brick kilns. At the City of Sydney, we work hard to continually improve our parks and this project will improve access for the people of St Peters, Newtown, Erskineville and Alexandria.
“Sydney Park has space to move, sporting and fitness facilities, a cycling centre, playground, a skate park, our city farm and a host of native wildlife. This project to restore the brick kilns and chimneys site will further improve this award-winning park.”
The revised scope will seek to:
- activate the internal space of one of the Down Draught kilns;
- create a raised lawn area and plaza spaces for small outdoor gatherings;
- improve access to Sydney Park from the Princes Highway;
- stabilise the brick kilns and reinstate roofs on the structures.
Works will be undertaken at Down Draught Kiln 2 including reinforcing the structure, waterproofing, improving accessibility and upgrading the structure’s services.
The selected kiln is the only one of the structures that can accommodate internal gatherings, as the larger brick kilns feature small internal spaces that are hard to access.
The project’s original scope was revised after the council supported the Lord Mayor’s request that city staff investigate activating the space.
A tender process will be undertaken to appoint a contractor with construction on site due to start within the next 12 months.
