A traditional pagoda in Haymarket will be be transformed into a new art installation and tourism information kiosk after Council last week approved a concept plan.
The kiosk will be constructed from renewable and reusable material, and will feature energy efficient lighting, a vivid red lantern motif and patterned screen slides.
"The Dixon Street pagoda is a well known landmark within the Chinatown precinct and will now be used by locals and tourists seeking information about all that Sydney has to offer," Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said.??When Council resumes in January, the City will lodge a development application and, once that has been approved, will tender for an architect, a spokesperson told Architecture & Design.
The City of Sydney assumed control of two existing CBD Tourism Information Kiosks from Tourism NSW last year. These kiosks, located on George Street near Town Hall and on the corner of Pitt and Alfred Streets at Circular Quay, are staffed by three visitor services officers and a team of 25 volunteers.
The development of a new kiosk in Chinatown has strong support from the Haymarket Chamber of Commerce and the local business community, who asked Council to turn the pagoda into a new Tourism Information Kiosk that would provide information and encourage more people to visit the area.
According to research from Tourism NSW, Chinatown is the third most visited tourist area in Sydney's CBD after the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
This new kiosk is located at the gateway to the Chinatown precinct, with close access to transport links, Darling Harbour, the Chinese Gardens, Sydney Entertainment Centre, the Capitol Theatre and the southern half of the CBD.
Construction of the kiosk is expected to commence in late 2010. The City will continue to engage the local community with plans for Chinatown through a series of Chinatown Public Domain Study consultation meetings.
