Water sports lagoon approved for Sydney's Olympic Park
by Kim Megson | 04 Jan 2018
Proposals for an open water surf sports lagoon at Sydney Olympic Park have been given the green light by planning chiefs.
The artificial wave park – located 25km from the ocean – has been designed by architects MJA Studio in collaboration with the WavePark Group, which will operate the site under its URBN Surf banner.
The duo are already developing similar parks in Perth and Melbourne, with each site set to offer a combination of facilities for surfers, swimmers and shoppers.
The lagoon at the AU$24m (US$18.8m, €15.6m, £13.9m) URBN Surf Sydney park will have a wave generator that creates various swell conditions for users. As many as 80 people – from beginners to experienced surfers – will be able to enter every hour.
The park will also feature an adventure playground, mini half-pipe skate ramp, toddler pool and climbing wall. Other amenities will include a retail shop, café, indoor restaurant and alfresco bar, along with changing rooms, first aid and lifeguard facilities, and a two-storey surf academy.
“We support the proposal as it provides a world-class sports and recreational facility for surfing, which is consistent with the vision for Sydney Olympic Park,” said Anthea Sargeant, executive director of Key Sites and Industry Assessments at New South Wales' Department of Planning and Environment.
“The project also meets design excellence standards, which include a high level of shading across key areas, and the use of sustainable building materials, solar panels and rainwater collection and reuse on-site, and a green roof over the main entry plaza.
“This is a wonderful opportunity to give the people of western Sydney easy access to fun, healthy outdoor recreational facilities.”
Construction of the project is expected to begin in the second half of 2018 and will last about 12 months.
In addition to their URBN Surf proposals, which are all new-builds, MJA Studios have also proposed to transform an abandoned sports stadium near Perth into an enormous outdoor wave pool.
Watersports lagoon Sydney Olympic Park New South Wales Sydney Australia MJA Studios Wavegarden Wave Park Group URBN Surf
The park will also feature an adventure playground, mini half pipe skate ramp, toddler pool and climbing wall Credit: WavePark Group
The lagoon at the AU$24m (US$18.8m, €15.6m, £13.9m) URBN Surf Sydney park will have a wave generator that creates various swell conditions for users Credit: WavePark Group
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Surf park for Melbourne from Damian Rogers and Arup
Proposals for an open water surf sports lagoon at Sydney Olympic Park have been given the green light by planning chiefs. The artificial wave park – located 25km from the ocean – has been designed by architects MJA Studio in collaboration with the WavePark Group, which will operate the site under its URBN Surf banner. The duo are already developing similar parks in Perth and Melbourne, with each site set
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