Work on Headland Park, the harbourside focal point of Sydney’s Barangaroo development, has commenced. Sydney construction company, Baulderstone, last week started work on caisson modifications.
“To naturalise the foreshore, Baulderstone have brought in the large green crane barge (known as BPL1) to remove the caissons, which are sections of the outside wall of the former container port,” the Barangaroo team announced in a media release.
“BPL1 is capable of lifting up to 650 tonnes. Once this process is complete, sandstone blocks will be placed along the foreshore.”
The sprawling, six-hectare Headland Park is due to open in 2015 and is set to become a popular attraction with Sydneysiders and visitors to the city. Featuring lush, naturalistic parklands, Headland Park will offer a new vantage point from which to enjoy Sydney’s world-famous harbour.
The Sydney civil engineers, Laing O’Rourke, were appointed in 2011 to perform preliminary works on the Headland Park site in readiness for the commencement of construction works. The construction works required include: construction of the northern cove, including marine works; Millers Point integration works and sandstone excavation. In other words, there will be plenty of work for Sydney civil contractors over the next 18 months.
Central to the vision for Headland Park is the fusion of the naturalistic and modern that characterised the winning design of Johnson Pilton Walker in association with Peter Walker and Partners. The team’s design marries a rugged sandstone landscape inspired by the pre-1836 shoreline and the modernity of the Sydney CBD. The design will allow for the complete transformation of a disused container terminal into a vibrant harbourside park.
Headland Park will draw on many specialist skills within the Sydney building company community. A cultural centre with an expected floor plan of up to 20,000sqm and an underground 300-space car park will sit at the centre of the park. The park will also feature bush walks, grassed areas, lookouts, bike paths and a new harbour cove consisting of a ‘beach’ area constructed from sandstone blocks. The unique tidal rock pools will offer visitors easy access to the harbour.
Barangaroo by the numbers
Headland Park will cover 5.74 hectares of prime, harbourside real estate.
9315 sandstone blocks will be used to construct the foreshore.
The lush parklands will boast 84 native species.
All in all, the Barangaroo redevelopment has been a boom to Sydney’s civil and construction companies and promises to be welcomed by they city’s residents.
Headland Park will open in 2015.
About Abergeldie
Abergeldie is a civil engineering contractor with over 25 years’ experience providing services in the utilities, energy and infrastructure sectors: the complex infrastructure needed to build better communities.
