Merrylands Civic Square is a public plaza that has become the heart of a diverse multicultural community. It demonstrates the importance of a collaborative design process, community consultation, sustainable infrastructure and innovation to create a space that is inclusive, functional, welcoming, resilient, technologically innovative and culturally connected.
The brief for Merrylands Civic Square was to provide Cumberland City Council with a unique, innovative, landmark at the heart of Merrylands, partly funded by the NSW Government’s ‘Public Spaces Legacy Program’. Essential to the design was the creation of an inviting public space tailored to one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse LGAs in Australia. The Civic Square was designed to serve as a versatile, multifunctional venue that could host events and celebrations while containing elements of nature and play, enhanced amenity and safety.
Turf Design Studio’s aspiration was to weave together the historical narratives of Merrylands and Australia to create a plaza that would become ‘common ground’ for diverse communities. The three strands of Australian history, as described by Australian Indigenous lawyer, academic and activist Noel Pearson, are Indigenous history, British colonial history and migrant history, which intersect distinctly in Merrylands and the Cumberland region. Core to Turf’s design working with Indigenous consultant Yerrabingin and art curator Guppy Art Management to reframe the project and integrate a ‘Connecting with Country’ framework into the design brief. ‘Connecting to Country’ is a holistic approach to creating landscapes and built environment that is deeply rooted in Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices, resulting in landscapes that are ecologically sustainable, culturally meaningful, socially inclusive, and respectful of Indigenous perspectives and values.
The resulting public plaza is roughly divided into two main spaces. The eastern half of the square features a green spine with a series of architectural canopies providing shade. Dharug artist Adam Laws’ work Gadi Daramu Beneath the Trees explores the deep connection to Country through contemporary metal ‘carved tree’ patterns in the canopy posts. The canopy structures are designed to catch rainwater and channel it onto the artworks, eventually feeding it into an ephemeral ‘creek line’ that is subtly graded into the paving and recalls the path of A’Becketts Creek that once flowed through the space. When it is not raining, people activate the ‘creek line’ using push-button-activated misters in the pavement, which provide a cool and comfortable microclimate mitigating urban heat island effects. Adam Laws’ designs also include sandblasted etchings, depicting local flora and fauna, on boulders along the creek line.
The western half of the square takes on more of an urban quality, with a paved thoroughfare, deciduous trees, seating, smart poles and free power points. This corridor links the two adjacent streets that pass through Merrylands and has been designed to accommodate public activities such as markets and large civic events. The now hidden waterline of A’Becketts Creek, the claypits and the flour mills of Merrylands, are recalled in cultural calligrapher Reza Taghipour’s paving elements Clay, Flour, Water. Bands of paving reflect the universal use of clay, flour and water across cultures, relating to both the Indigenous and industrial heritage of Merrylands.
At the northern end of the square is a raised and open lawn area with large tree plantings and an undulating seating wall along its perimeter. In Spirit of the Olive, local artist Marian Abboud worked with the imagery of the olive tree, reflecting its significance across cultures and its importance in the culinary lives of the varying Merrylands’ communities. The graphic tile art is integrated along the seating wall that welcomes visitors as they enter the plaza from McFarlane Street.
Merrylands Civic Square has successfully met the council’s long-standing need for a multifunctional urban space to serve as a vibrant hub for community interaction and civic engagement. Its rainwater-capture systems and smart technologies contribute to sustainability outcomes. The square mitigates urban heat island effects in a more cost-effective way.
Through these collaborative and consultation-led design processes, Merrylands Civic Square is a space that exemplifies community engagement, cultural integration and environmental stewardship in landscape architectural design. It stands as an exemplar project that weaves narrative threads of history together into the material fabric of a public plaza. It reflects a deep Connection with Country and community values, and provides a cultural common ground, fostering a sense of place and belonging for people of all backgrounds.
Client: Cumberland City Council
Design Team:
Public Domain / Landscape: Turf Design Studio
Architectural Canopies: Lacoste + Stevenson (Concept), HUB (D&C)
Indigenous Consultant: Yerrabingin
Public Art Curator: Guppy Associates
Public Artists: Adam Laws, Marian Abboud, Reza Taghipour
Lighting Design: Lighting, Art + Science
Location: 205 Merrylands Rd, Merrylands NSW 2160
Design year: 2021
Year Completed: 2023
