Options for Ultimo Creative Industries Precinct
Client: Create NSW
Collaborators: John Wardle Architects AspectStudios Brickfields Consulting
Location: Sydney, NSW
Year: 2020
Making creative industries a priority
Brief
With the NSW Government’s commitment to a new MAAS Powerhouse Museum in Parramatta, the existing Powerhouse site at Ultimo was proposed as a ‘creative industries precinct’. Following a preliminary business case and investigation into the option for the site, the Create Infrastructure team sought an interdisciplinary design team to test and refine the options to compile the final masterplan and associated business case for the site, ready to submit to Treasury.
Approach
Left Bank Co. joined a collaborative team led by John Wardle Architects, along with Aspect Studios and Brickfields Consulting , to explore and test the options for the Ultimo Creative Industries Precinct. Our role was to research and represent the voice of the local creative industries, identifying their needs and shaping a strategic plan for delivering space within the precinct to best serve these needs. This was achieved through engagement with sector leadership, in-depth research, benchmarking, business model development, spatial briefing and test fits. The outcome was the development of several alternative site options that were then assessed by an expert team of business case writers for inclusion in the submission to Treasury.
Impact
Our work has made a significant contribution to defining the needs of the local creative industries community and ensuring that the options put forward offer a well-considered and viable outcome for the sector.