Above: The site of Barangaroo's headland park during World Youth Day 2008.
Barangaroo’s head honcho has dismissed the architect’s claims that a conspiracy is locking out the public.
John Tabart, CEO of the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) said it is “absolute nonsense” to suggest the public is being shut out of the site for fear of a backlash against the new plans.
“130,000 people came to listen to the Pope on World Youth Day last year on this site. So it’s absolute nonsense to suggest that the government is doing anything except promoting Barangaroo to the public of Sydney,” Tabart said.
Original architect Philip Thalis suggested that the government is afraid people will see the site “in all its grandeur” and speak against the current plans for a “historic pastiche” of pre-European settlement.
Thalis’ original competition-winning design left the site largely intact. However, the jury, one member of whom was Paul Keating, requested a natural headland along with northern and southern coves.
Thalis’ firm made some changes but was cut from the project when it refused to make large-scale modifications to its designs.
The authorities “bastardised” Sydney’s only major international competition since the opera house, Thalis said.
“With the jury recommendations they were the appropriate winners. As is turned out they weren’t prepared or willing to modify their scheme to accommodate the jury recommendation,” Tabart said.
“After that, another firm was appointed to take the work forward because it was clear that Hill Thalis had a different view,” he said.
However, Thalis argues that the jury suggestions were part of Paul Keating’s “personal crusade” to create his vision for the park. Keating was both on the jury and on the BDA’s design panel that enforced jury changes and advised government.
The recently adapted plans also incorporate 30 submissions from the public. However, these submissions were never made public. Architecture & Design has requested the public comments.
