Fremantle’s Esplanade Youth Plaza receives prestigious Australia Award for Urban Design
It was a huge day for Convic and the city of Fremantle in Western Australia with the Esplanade Youth Plaza we designed and constructed being honoured with this prestigious award for excellence in Australian Urban Design.
The award is given to projects that set the future direction of public infrastructure in Australia.
The Australia Award for Urban Design is hosted by the Planning Institute of Australia with support from the Australian Institute of Architects, Property Council of Australia, Green Building Council of Australia, The Australian Urban Design Forum and the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) and is hosted at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia.
Judges described the Fremantle Esplanade Youth Plaza by Convic as ‘a great example of a central, accessible public open space that provides a range of active, passive and social pursuits for all ages which is adaptable over time to meet evolving healthy and safe activities for a diversity of users with differing interests and abilities.’
The project was also praised for its sensitivity to the area’s history and culture. The judges wrote: “The design of the structures builds on Fremantle’s past and present themes of beach, brickworks, rail and maritime into forms, shapes, elements and materials and a diverse, engaging and aesthetically pleasing plaza space.”
This is Convic’s second time winning this prestigious award with the previous being in 2010 for the Geelong Youth Activities Area.
The Esplanade Youth Plaza has also been recognised further and recently received the Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA) State Award of Excellence for Playspaces over $1M.