IKIGAI | Civic Recreation & Entertainment

Ikigai — the meaning in life — sets the stage for a variety of performative activities which bring the community of Redfern together. These actions come in the form of basketball, theatrical performance, art, and gastronomy, interests often labelled as superfluous.

In plan, elements are laid out on a grid in line with the neighbouring train lines, clothing store, and Carriageworks, then punctuated with a curve -- the amphitheatre. Instead of big gestures, Ikigai sits simply on the landscape --- not to make a loud statement, but to frame its surrounding nature and set a stage for the activities happening within through abstraction. The amphitheatre operated at night doubles as a conversational space in the day. Brick walls placed on the grid act as a legal canvas for graffiti, much like Dancer’s Alley outside the ICC Sydney Theatre which invites dancers to congregate with a stretch of mirrors. This ties in with Redfern’s history of the aboriginal community fostering camaraderie through art and performance. The gallery along the main entrance hosts works of both artists from the clothing store and the brick walls to promote and uplift local artists.

At a glance, the cluster of three towers connected by elevated paths is reminiscent of Supertrees in the Gardens Bay South project, Singapore by Wilkinson Eyre and Landscape Architects. These provide an immediate dimension to the site while marrying the form of trees. When viewed from the main entrance, the form of the main tower situated between the shorter basketball courts is inspired by the silhouette of a lighthouse on an outcrop of land. The form of the tower is inspired by the quintessential theatre box which overlooks the stage.

Celebrating rest, creativity, and passion, this third space frames the expansiveness of the sky through towers, bridges, and sky lighting.