Regulation

Architect proposes skyscraper in pit

A Sydney architect has suggested a bold new design for the abandoned Hornsby Quarry, with a skyscraper rising from the base of the pit.
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University of Sydney Masters student Iain Blampied believes that by building a structure on the floor of the quarry, the local community could better connect with the public space, appreciating “the natural beauty that is the quarry”.

“My design is to form a structure on the rock face of the quarry that would become a physical link into the depths of the quarry,” Blampied told The Hornsby Advocate. “The skyscraper would … have a cultural performance centre at the base, education and research facilities between the base and the cliff edge and accommodation on the top third of the structure.”

The site is owned by the Hornsby Council, which has come under heavy fire for its decision to reclaim the quarry for development. The council acquired the site from CSR, who owned and operated the site from 1959 to 2003, for $25.1 million.

Protesters were concerned about the intensity of the work required to refill the quarry and the site’s rezoning as “operational land”.

Using a geotechnical report from Pells Sullivan Meyninc, protestors claim the restoration would require a truck load of fill every five minutes for 40 hours a week over more than 20 years. The report also found that the reclamation would cost $55 million to complete, a fact the council disputes.

“With several large projects, including the North West Rail Link, increasing the availability of clean fill, the market for VENM has changed in recent years,” a council spokesman said, insisting the refill would pay for itself.

Residents, however, are claiming the amount of activity required would be disruptive.

Source: The Hornsby Advocate

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