The Brett Whitely Place and Elizabeth Plaza project was a significant public domain upgrade for the main public space in central North Sydney. OCULUS led the consultant team, working closely with Council.

The project involved significant re-grading, the creation of new gathering and event spaces, new furniture elements, high quality paving, planting, public art, refurbishment of existing water features and decorative lighting to renew and transform the space.

The concept took its inspiration from Brett Whiteley’s (whom the space is named after) calligraphic artworks. The space was conceived as a blank canvas onto which a sinuous line was added to define the layout of urban interventions, with a series of sculptural terraced spaces running down the centre of the space, an events area at the lowest level and an informal arrangement of trees.

The existing Robert Woodward designed water features were refurbished, relocated and integrated into the design, forming the centrepiece for each of the gathering spaces. A sculptural screen features at the top of the space acting as a marker along the Pacific Highway, enhancing the existing station entry structure, mitigating prominent southerly winds and providing additional seating.