Catalyst for Transformation

Narellan Town Centre Narellan, Australia

Narellan Town Centre

Narellan, Australia

Overview

The $200 million redevelopment of Narellan Town Centre arose from the desire to create a heart for the community; a hub of engaging and flexible spaces to provide a sense of activity and character within the expanding greater south-western Sydney context.

The Town Centre’s external skybridge, two entrance lobbies and the sweeping form of the façade have been designed to create a gateway landmark which embraces the restaurant precinct and civic space at its heart. Significant corners of the building exterior are emphasised with artwork which serve as identification markers for the centre and provide a clear sense of place as people enter. Pedestrian access and site permeability is prioritised throughout, with visitors enjoying walking inboard along the new town square’s edge flanked by restaurants, retail, landscaping and water features.

Community engagement is encouraged across the entire outdoor public plaza, which includes flexible and adaptable zones providing an ideal space for community events; while the restaurant precinct which flanks this space provides a destination meeting point for locals and visitors. Historic signage and artwork are incorporated within the landscaped plaza reflecting the area’s heritage; this includes reference to the original Campbelltown-to-Camden rail link which traversed the site and served as a coal washery.

Upon entering the shopping centre, customers are met with wide walkways and multiple vertical connections providing a free flowing and pleasant experience of the space. The interiors are divided into precincts with expressive individual characteristics and identities that form part of the same family of finishes and elements, giving the centre a coherent language, as well as acting as an organic bleed between public and private realm.

The resulting design effect is both aesthetically and functionally inviting, transforming what was a retail centre in a predominantly industrial zone into an engaging community heart for Narellan and its surrounds.

Overview