Western Sydney’s hottest place to cool down opens

Parramatta has a cool new destination for beating the heat, just in time for summer.

Today marks the opening of the Parramatta Aquatic Centre, a multi-million dollar facility designed to service the diverse communities of Western Sydney. Jointly crafted by award-winning architectural firms Grimshaw, Andrew Burges Architects and landscape architects McGregor Coxall, the facility includes a 10-lane 50m outdoor pool, a 25m indoor pool and a Learn to Swim pool as well as an indoor water playground, a fully-equipped gym in the health and wellness centre, community rooms and steam, spa and sauna facilities.

The $88.6 million centre is situated in Parramatta Park at Mays Hill and has been designed to ‘minimally disrupt’ the park, which is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. With the outdoor pool as the centrepiece, the aquatic centre has been largely worked into the topography of the park, maintaining community access to the site as well as protecting views across the park to Old Government House.

In addition to the public-facing facilities, the centre has 360 solar panels powering a 193kW system and an automated natural ventilation system instead of air conditioning.

Parramatta has been without an aquatic centre since 2017 when the Parramatta Memorial Pool was bulldozed to make way for the Western Sydney Stadium. The outdoor pool has been named the Memorial Pool in honour of the former pool.

Architect Andrew Burges said the aquatic centre had been designed with the future in mind.

“Our goal was to provide a completely new vision of what an Aquatic Centre could be – we wanted to create a destination for the community, one that provides opportunity for many forms of recreation in a safe and inspiring facility that feels more like a landscape setting than a building,” he said.

Project director for Grimshaw, Josh Henderson, said the centre was a culmination of years of planning and collaboration that would serve the needs of the community for years to come.

“The new Parramatta Aquatic Centre will provide a much-needed destination for swimming, fitness, and leisure in Western Sydney,” he said.

“The design team, City of Parramatta and builder have all collaborated to create a valuable community asset that is enjoyable to experience, well made, highly functional and accessible. As a new home to many community groups, the opening of the facility will provide vibrant landscaped public spaces for fitness, sport, learn to swim classes and for time with friends and family.”

The new aquatic centre is projected to attract one million visitors a year.

Long-term Sydney residents always had handful of not-so-glamourous nicknames for the building on the corner of Cleveland and Baptist Streets straddling Redfern and Surry Hills, but after a modern rebirth that’s all changed.

Once known as “Murder Mall” or “Methadone Mall”, the 1960s-built Surry Hills Shopping Centre was a magnet for colourful characters and questionable behaviour. Today, however, a $500 million facelift of the site — alongside a slow and steady gentrification of the two neighbouring suburbs — the prime corner property has been transformed into a luxury apartment complex Surry Hills Village by developer Toga Group.

The crowning feature of the 122-apartment project is the three-bedroom penthouse, fully completed and just released to market with a $7.5 million price guide.

Measuring 211sqm of internal space, with a 136sqm terrace complete with landscaping, the penthouse is the brand new brainchild of Surry Hills local Adam Haddow, director of architecture at award-winning firm SJB.

Victoria Judge, senior associate and co-interior design lead at SJB says Surry Hills Village sets a new residential benchmark for the southern end of Surry Hills.

“The residential offering is well-appointed, confident, luxe and bohemian. Smart enough to know what makes good living, and cool enough to hold its own amongst design-centric Surry Hills.”

Allan Vidor, managing director of Toga Group, adds that the penthouse is the quintessential jewel in the crown of Surry Hills Village.

“Bringing together a distinct design that draws on the beauty and vibrancy of Sydney; grand spaces and the finest finishes across a significant footprint, located only a stone’s throw away from the exciting cultural hub of Crown St and Surry Hills.”

Created to maximise views of the city skyline and parkland, the top floor apartment has a practical layout including a wide private lobby leading to the main living room, a sleek kitchen featuring Pietra Verde marble and a concealed butler’s pantry Sub-Zero Wolf appliances, full-height Aspen elm joinery panels hiding storage throughout, flamed Saville stone flooring, a powder room, and two car spaces with a personal EV.

All three bedrooms have large wardrobes and ensuites with bathrooms fittings such as freestanding baths, artisan penny tiles, emerald marble surfaces and brushed-nickel accents.

Additional features of the entertainer’s home include leather-bound joinery doors opening to a full wet bar with Sub-Zero wine fridge and Sub-Zero Wolf barbecue.

The Surry Hills Village precinct will open in stages until autumn next year and once complete, Wunderlich Lane will be home to a collection of 25 restaurants and bars plus wellness and boutique retail. The EVE Hotel Sydney will open later in 2024, offering guests an immersive experience in the precinct’s art, culture, and culinary offerings.

The Surry Hills Village penthouse on Baptist is now finished and ready to move into with marketing through Toga Group and inquiries to 1800 554 556.

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