The City of Sydney’s largest playground, Gunyama Park in Zetland, is now open for play. The playground is part of 6,300 square metres (approx 67800 sq. ft.) of new open space, with 70 metres of tunnels and tube slides, a skate plaza, a water play area, and more than 150 newly planted trees.
Gunyama is an Aboriginal Sydney language word meaning wind from the southwest. Strong southerlies regularly blow through the district that has been home to Aboriginal clans and families for thousands of years.
The park’s layout mirrors its natural setting, with banksia scrub lining the channels that resemble the original wetlands, featuring native plants from the area. It also acknowledges how Aboriginal lifestyles are shaped by an understanding of Country and seasonal environmental shifts, evidenced by changes in flora, fauna, and star movements. The design incorporates a learning circle to promote intergenerational and cross-cultural education, along with a large lawn, barbecues, picnic tables, and facilities like bathrooms and change rooms for the nearby sports field.
The playground was designed for various age groups, including toddlers and primary school-aged children, and features swings, a flying fox (zip line), climbing ropes, in-ground trampolines, a small sand play area, musical elements, and obstacles.
The project includes a green roof on the amenities building, habitat boxes for local animals to make themselves at home, seating made of rammed earth and recycled water helping plants thrive.
The park is part of Green Square, an industrial renewal project in Sydney’s inner south that will be home to around 63,000 people. The park helps provide green spaces and amenities alongside residential development.
We want Green Square to be an exemplar of a high density urban village, a community sustained by community facilities, rich cultural life and green space. With the recent completion of a new primary school and now this impressive playground, we are making sure Green Square is the model of residential development done well.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore
Project Credits:
City of Sydney in collaboration with Consultants/Subconsultants:
Andrew Burgess Architects
Grimshaw Architects
Taylor Cullity Lethlean
Place Design Group
Northrop
Fulton Trotter Architects
Lighting Art and Science
Aqueduct Consultancy
Convic
Forge
Douglas Partners
WTP Australia
AECOM
Senserva
Djinjama
COLA Studio
Aileen Sage
Sarah Jane Jones
Built by Regal Innovations
Image Credits: Chris Southwood; Will Jones;