Free swimming as Prince Alfred celebrates upgrade
Sydney’s upgraded Prince Alfred Park Pool has opened with an offer of free entry for six months to appease the community after considerable delays.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore admits the community had exercised great patience, but says they can now enjoy their new pool.
“Residents, visitors and workers have been incredibly patient as issues including unusually high rainfall and the discovery of soil contamination delayed the new pool,” she says. “To say thanks to the community, this fully-accessible pool will have free entry for six months.
“The pool will be open all-year round, providing fantastic views of the city skyline while swimmers do their laps in heated water.”
The pool upgrade is the first major public building designed by Potts Point-based practice Neeson Murcutt Architects.
Established by Rachel Neeson and her late partner Nicholas Murcutt in 2004, the practice has since exhibited their work at the Venice Biennale (in 2006 and 2008) and received numerous awards from the Australian Institute of Architects.
Murcutt tragically died in 2011 as the project was gearing up for construction and a small tribute to him has been installed within the pool surroundings.
“It is an irreconcilable disappointment that Nick will never see the project complete – although he knew exactly how it would be, how it would delight,” says Neeson.
“Nick’s zestful enthusiasm and dogged deducation will be remembered by all and his memory cast as a ghostly grey shadow on the smallest skylight, visible against the sky from the Chalmers Street entrance. These wonderfully over-scaled elements are pure Nick.”
The pool has a new café with direct access to the park, sky-lit change rooms and tiles that gently reflect water and natural light, tiered seating built into a mound within the park and bright-yellow shade umbrellas that dot the landscape like wildflowers.
The building has the biggest green roof of its kind in Sydney, topped with indigenous flowers and meadow grasses that fold over the café and change rooms.
It uses best practice filtration and monitoring, stormwater harvesting, water-saving fixtures, energy-efficient lighting and heating.
With construction, design and staff costs to finish the project, and liquidated damages due to late completion, the expected final total is $20.5 million – a six per cent variation on the estimated $19.3 million original tender in 2010.
Local artist Sonia van de Haar from art and architecture company, Lymesmith, worked closely with Neeson Murcutt Architects, the City and engineers to design a public art project on the site. Shades of Green features a collection of chimneys dipped in colour to blend into the sky and surrounding park.
