Jensen PLUS leads redevelopment of Broken Hill Town Square
The Jensen PLUS team is thrilled to be appointed by Broken Hill City Council to lead the Town Square redevelopment project alongside a multi-disciplinary team including Phillips/Pilkington Architects and civil engineers Tonkin Consulting.
This exciting project will see a reactivation of Broken Hill’s CBD by creating a more functional Town Square with improved accessibility and flexibility to host community events and celebrations.
Visiting Broken Hill last week to get the project underway, Jensen PLUS Director and Urban Designer, Michael McKeown says he is excited about this design and its potential.
“We love working with regional communities to make public spaces more inviting and more useable, and this project is no exception as we see plenty of potential to freshen up the square’s functionality and visual appeal.”
“There are currently two cafes operating on the Town Square which are already attracting lots of people to use the space and meet friends for coffee,” he adds.
“It’s clear that the square already has the appeal to act as a local gathering space and our designs for its redevelopment will reinvigorate the area and build on that.”
The project team brings a wealth of experience in public realm design, heritage architecture, and in designing public space elements such as shade structures and street furniture.
Meeting with key stakeholders on site last week, Michael says he and Senior Urban Designer Matthew Edwards are ready to hit the ground running with the first stage of design options.
“We are working to understand localised stormwater issues but, more importantly, we are armed with loads of ideas and inspiration for the transformation of this space.
“Between the rich heritage of surrounding buildings and the countless stories shared by local residents and business owners during our visit, we are excited to translate these into design concepts.”
Linking the railway station with Argent Street and Chloride Street, Broken Hill Town Square is a significant public space within the city centre and will also form part of a ‘Welcome Walk’ between the Railway Station and Sturt Park.
“We really enjoyed the opportunity to discuss ideas, discover local insights and chat with ABC Radio Broken Hill about future design options for the square,” says Michael.
Michael and Matt will return to Broken Hill mid-year to present design options at a pop-up consultation in the Town Square.
“We can’t wait to share our design options with the community and get their valued feedback and comments,” adds Michael.
The $1.2m project, funded by NSW Government grants, builds upon work already done by Council through its CBD Master Plan to create high quality public spaces that are enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.
Cover photo: Susan Phillips (Phillips/Pilkington Architects). Michael McKeown (Jensen PLUS), Matthew Edwards (Jensen PLUS) and Nicholas Firth (Tonkin).
