When you think of Sydney's major cultural centres, you wouldn't normally think of the super-high density, apartment block super-suburb Green Square. But after two years of construction, a $32 million community and cultural precinct is opening this weekend, complete with a three-storey creative centre.
The development is part of the City of Sydney's $540 million investment in the new Green Square Town Centre, which will continue to be developed over the next ten years at the site of the former South Sydney Hospital. The City of Sydney says Green Square will soon be home to 61,000 people, so it's about time it got some decent community facilities.
Located inside a heritage-listed building that used to be the nurses' quarters at the former hospital, the Joynton Avenue Community Centre is designed by Peter Stutchbury Architecture, and features artist studios, creative offices, exhibition spaces, workshop spaces, and indoor and outdoor areas for community hire. The centre will be managed by 107 Projects, a non-profit artists' project which has presented exhibitions, live music, theatre, workshops and live drawing classes in its Redfern headquarters.
The community and cultural precinct also features the Banga Community Shed, which is a transformed pathology centre fitted out as an electronics workshop where local residents can learn skills or just repair their own electronics, and a new childcare centre.
And there's a new public art work from Sydney-based, Colombian-born artist Maria Fernanda Cardoso, called 'While I Live I Will Grow'. It's a "living artwork", made up of Queensland bottle trees and a spiral sandstone sculpture.
The launch of the community and cultural centre runs from 11am to 3pm this Saturday, May 26. There'll be performances and talks from architects throughout the day, and tours of the facilities.
Check out our list of the best things to do in Sydney this weekend.