Gunyama Park Aquatic & Recreation Centre to win prestigious design awards

Sydney’s newest aquatic centre has taken out the prestigious City of Sydney Lord Mayor’s Prize (joint winner) and the public architecture award at the NSW Architecture Awards.

Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre’s new pool, modelled on Sydney’s iconic beaches, is the biggest built since the 2000 Olympic Games. With lap pools, exercise areas and chillout zones, the complex is part of City of Sydney’s commitment to build sustainable facilities that meet the diverse needs of our communities.

According to Andrew Burges Architect: “the site was re-imagined as a continuous wetland landscape of the original Botany Swamp, with a series of pool and recreational landscapes embedded through topographic insertions into the wetland landscape, creating a continuous park footprint across the whole site.”

The design celebrates enduring Eora culture on Country and centre operators are constantly working with First Nations people in the local area to ensure the centre is welcoming and inclusive. Plans are underway to continue the Indigenous perspective in the next stage of works, which includes a children’s play area and green space.

Smoking ceremony for the opening of the centre. Credit: Renee Nowytarger/City of Sydney.

AAF EverShield® anodising finishes featured at this award-winning aquatic facility

Considering the facility’s humid environment and high projected daily visits, AAF EverShield® Ebony Matt (black) was applied on extrusion products, as seen between windows, to provide superior, durable and consistent shading anodising finishes for this ambitious project.

EverShield® high-grade anodising is an integral finish that cannot flake, peel or blister and come with extreme UV resistance. That explains how AAF guarantee long-lasting performance against Gunyama’s humid aquatic environment, outdoor pools with high average sunshine duration and high volume traffic. The final result is a real metallic finish that is highly sustainable and durable with performance warranty of up to 30 years.

Clients were also happy with AAF’s advantage of direct access to various sheet suppliers and mills available in Australia, which resulted in shorter lead time, economical pricing and free pre-purchase services.

Project Specifications

Architect: Andrew Burges Architects and Grimshaw Architects
Client: City of Sydney
Photography: Brett Boardman Photography
Completion: Feb 2021
Product: EverShield® Ebony Matt (black) and EverShield® AQ Sheet