The Australian Institute of Architects says the NSW Government\u2019s decision to re\u2010develop Darling Harbour
\nthrough a single contract with a single developer has betrayed the public interest.<\/p>\n
The Institute\u2019s National President Elect Paul Berkemeier said the Government should fulfill its responsibility as
\nadvocate for the public interest by defining and defending the public realm for the project, rather than leaving
\nthis critical step to a development tender.<\/p>\n
\u2018Lend Lease is a reputable organisation that should not have been put in the position of both planning and
\ndeveloping this large 20 hectare public precinct,\u2019 Mr Berkemeier said.<\/p>\n
\u2018The government has contracted out its responsibility to prepare a master plan for the use of public land, as
\nwell as the rights to demolish and develop it,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Institute\u2019s view is that city development is better served by a multiplicity of players in the development
\nindustry, not just one.<\/p>\n
\u2018That is the way most urban areas have been developed, and re\u2010developed, in the past.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Institute does not take issue with the quality of the professional teams involved in the re\u2010development,\u2019
\nMr Berkemeier said.<\/p>\n
\u2018What we question is the muddled brief to which they are responding and the out\u2010dated and wasteful demolish
\nand rebuild strategy underlying the whole proposal,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n
\u2018Last year the Institute\u2019s NSW Chapter adopted a new policy: Valuing Award\u2010Winning Buildings in the Long
\nTerm.<\/p>\n
\u2018The policy proposes a number of actions to achieve the long\u2010term recognition and protection of buildings that
\nhave won the Chapter\u2019s highest honour, the Sulman Medal, including listings on local environmental plans and
\nthe State Heritage Register.<\/p>\n
\u2018The policy aims at the long\u2010term survival of these highly regarded buildings and encourages adaptations and
\nadditions that respect the integrity of their original designs.<\/p>\n
\u2018In view of this policy, the Institute strongly advocates the retention of the Sulman Medal\u2010winning Exhibition
\nCentre in any re\u2010development of Darling Harbour.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Exhibition Centre was awarded the Sulman Medal in 1989 by a jury chaired by the late Harry Seidler,\u2019 Mr
\nBerkemeier said.\u2018We also recommend the retention of the other major buildings in the precinct and the key
\nfeatures of\u00a0Tumbalong Park, a facility that has proved to be extremely popular with the people of Sydney.<\/p>\n
\u2018We agree that there is an opportunity to re\u2010think the uses and relationships between the centres, the Darling
\nHarbour precinct, and the rest of the city.<\/p>\n
\u2018But we are opposed to the notion that you need to demolish 25\u2010year old buildings and replace them with new
\nbuildings on similar footprints to achieve these improvements.<\/p>\n
\u2018We also consider that the scope of the project is unnecessarily limited.<\/p>\n
\u2018This is an opportunity to re\u2010consider the whole of the precinct, from the National Maritime Museum in the
\nwest to King Street Wharf in the east, at least from a planning perspective,\u2019 Mr Berkemeier said.<\/p>\n
\u2018A thorough analysis of the larger precinct would have enabled long\u2010term strategies to be developed that could
\nbe implemented over a 20\u201030 year period.<\/p>\n
\u2018This is our city \u2013 the Government\u2019s responsibility is to defend the public interest \u2013 not to sell it,\u2019 Mr
\nBerkemeier said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"