BVN’s Day-to-Night School Wins Green Square Competition

Architecture firm BVN’s day-to-night primary school and community space has won the design competition for Sydney’s $8-billion Green Square urban renewal project.

The City of Sydney and NSW Education unveiled the design to be built on the former South Sydney Hospital site at Joynton Avenue, Zetland.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the school will sit at the heart of Green Square.

“This revolutionary school design will provide much-needed community facilities that will be activated day and night for the whole community to use,” Moore said.

The land set was aside during masterplanning for the precinct which aims to transform “Sydney’s oldest industrial heartland” to accommodate 30,000 new dwellings by 2030.

Mirvac is working on the next nine residential towers within the precinct which it purchased from Landcom in October 2020.

Crown also has its 18-level Infinity project in Green Square which won The Urban Developer 2020 High Density Residential Project of the year.

BVN principal Ali Bounds said the new educational model sets a framework for flexible, varied and functional learning spaces based around community hubs.

“Green Square’s landmark heritage brick buildings have already been thoughtfully reimagined through adaptive reuse,” Bounds said.

“As the final element to be delivered within the precinct, we felt that it was significant that the new school clearly be a part of the area.”

BVN principal Matthew Blair said it was a unique and exciting opportunity to create an exemplar public school.

“We believe buildings that are participative, that involve an engagement with users and that can be reactive to varying conditions, will bring educational benefits,” Blair said.

“This project provides a rare opportunity to create a modern, neighbourhood-scaled school that contributes to a shared public domain.”

“The school will serve as a lynchpin that connects our award-winning library and civic plaza, 40 new parks and the Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre, which opened earlier this year,” the lord mayor added.

“By planning for the community’s needs alongside residential development, we are transforming Sydney’s oldest industrial heartland into a lively, connected and well-serviced community.”

The City committed $25 million towards the integrated community facilities that will be shared by local residents and businesses outside of school hours.

The new school will be part of the City’s $1.3 billion investment in public and community infrastructure.