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Urban Rhapsody


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-- Sagar Mansukh --

Major metropolitan cities such as Sydney play host to a variety of de-institutionalised events. Some of these events involve street musicians and graffiti artists, who are increasingly claiming a 'place of establishment' in the urban situation. Population densities, public spaces and transportation nodes act as some key drivers in the emergence of street artists. As a result, particular parts of Sydney have emerged as performance places for street artists in contrast to defined performance institutions, at the same time as Sydney's fluctuating inhabitants have become the street artists' audiences.

This project takes the Domain car park in Sydney's Domain as its site. Using this site, it attempts to expand conventional notions of performance places and events, and identifies the domain car park, the surrounding railway line, the site's proximity to the Art Gallery of NSW, and the Woolloomooloo pedestrian bridge as opportunities that extend the city. It also introduces a train station to the Domain - Woolloomooloo precinct as part of its programmatic ambition.

The scheme is activated by the overlapping of the program's three components: the existing car park infrastructure is transformed into performance spaces; the Domain playing fields are extended; and circulation routes to Domain and Woolloomooloo are blurred in a vice-versa relationship. Performance spaces on this site operate in two ways, as enclosed and open-air performance spaces, randomly and intentionally occurring during peak hours and at seasonal times. The car park's infrastructure is activated for railway commuters as well as car park users who generate density. The street artists introduce their artistic vibrancy. Graffiti artists can claim they have a dedicated studio integrated with a railway platform. Emerging street artists can record and promote their artistic ability using a music shop, recording studio and radio station, which are introduced as commercial components of the program.