Charles Street Square

Situated where salt and fresh water meet, Charles Street Square draws upon the unique characteristics of its location to create a new landmark contemporary river gateway to Parramatta.  The project overcomes challenging terrain to deliver inclusive universal access between river and city, while simultaneously creating inviting spaces to meet, gather and enjoy the river.  By celebrating transport, connectivity and history, the design transcends its functional brief to also achieve a true ‘sense of place’, where the dynamic qualities of the landscape and the depth of cultural significance are tangible in the everyday experience of the square. 

With the transformation of Charles Street Square now complete, Parramatta Quay is being touted as the "Circular Quay of the West", providing a welcoming riverfront gathering place that connect residents and visitors to Parramatta’s unique stories and ecologies.

SMM were the lead consultants for this complex multi-million dollar project and led a multidisciplinary team to deliver the design, with architecture by Lahznimmo Architects.

The project opening was recently featured on Channel Nine News and a short video clip is available below.

Indigenous Interpretation

In consultation with Dharug community representatives, a comprehensive Interpretation Plan was developed and interpretation elements are woven into various site elements, sharing cultural themes and stories of this meeting place.

Interpretation items include a Welcome to Country sign in the Dharug language; interpretive text sandblasted/routed on the concrete and timber terraces of the amphitheatre combining historical quotes about major flood events with text from ‘Baramada River – I am Baramada Darugan’ by Julie Jones of Dharug Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation in a call and response style represented through a variation of script and medium; brass plaques with the names of people and places of importance to Charles Street and the broader Parramatta/Dharug language area were incorporated on the timber seats. The plaques include QR codes linked to a Council website with further information. Engravings of artefacts recovered from the site were also included on one of the plaques.

Design

The design features a sinuous organising geometry that responds directly to the shape of the Parramatta River and surrounding escarpment and also to the cultural/environmental reference point of the ‘meeting place of the eels’. The sinuous, curving geometry influences the key elements of the design to create a welcoming space that focusses on the experiences of arrival, meeting, gathering and enjoying the river.

The new riverfront terraces form a sinuous riverfront edge that rises to the street level and provide a contemporary, built, complement to the natural escarpment on the northern side of the river. The terraces create flexible public seating spaces for individuals and groups.

Three generous curving ramped walkways for pedestrians, cyclists and people with limited mobility. The lower ramp with robust weathering steel cladding has been designed to withstand regular flood impacts with minimal maintenance and create a strong visual identity for the square, whilst clearly marking the route between river and city.

Existing mature trees on site are retained and incorporated into the experience of the riverfront terraces. New timber decking surround the trees and create places to rest under their dappled shade within the terraced space. The existing trees are complemented with additional tree planting to further increase environmental comfort within the square and immediately adjacent parkland.