On the oldest parcel of land in Sydney Park and the only piece which remains on deep soil (rather than on fill), Wetland 5 replaces a wetland which was in a state of disrepair, with rotting timber logs and a leaky substructure causing significant loss of water.

ASPECT Studios marked the park upgrade by inserting a simple and robust gesture which is of its time.

The concrete arc sets the infrastructural and organisational logics of the park and provides an informal seat and edge to the wetland. Light sensitive fluorescent lights housed in the wall create a safe, usable space whilst also being an attractor at night.

High quality, in-situ concrete walls work as a semi circular ‘frame’ to the water course. The water from Wetland 5 is recirculated throughout Sydney Park, attracting fauna and enabling wetland species to flourish.