Napier Street Open Space
Napier Street Open Space is a pedestrianised public space at the eastern end of Napier Street in Paddington NSW 2021, beside the UNSW College of Fine Arts campus. Its standout feature is a canopy of mature fig trees, all retained during the works, above dense garden beds and curved seating walls.
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About Napier Street Open Space
History and Design Award at Napier Street Open Space
The eastern end of Napier Street was shut to traffic in the 1980s to stop heavy vehicles taking a shortcut between Oxford Street and South Dowling Street. OCULUS later designed Napier Street Open Space as landscape architect for the City of Sydney, and the park was built in 2014 with a landscape and external works budget of $1.2 million. The project won the Design category at the 2014 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects NSW Awards. Its design aims were to create places to gather and a meeting place for the local community and COFA.
Fig Trees and Gardens at Napier Street Open Space
Napier Street Open Space has a tree canopy made up mainly of fig trees, Ficus macrocarpa hillii and Ficus benjamina, with Bangalow Palms (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) among them. The design added understorey planting beneath the retained figs, and dense planting fills the garden beds. A decorative garden screen between 1.0 and 1.5 metres high runs through the northern beds, while concrete seating separates the paved public domain from the gardens.
Seating and Lighting at Napier Street Open Space
Napier Street Open Space has curvilinear seating walls and a concrete seating edge to the east, and noise-reducing timber screens line the space. Two decks allow direct movement through the site, which is organised into three clear zones of occupation. Pole lights and improved LEDs keep the pathways well lit, and power outlets fed by a main switchboard were installed in the electrical works. These additions created opportunities for dining and events in the space.
Facilities at Napier Street Open Space
Visitor tips for Napier Street Open Space
- ✓Visit the COFA gallery, reached through the new entry foyer facing Napier Street.
Getting to Napier Street Open Space
At the eastern end of Napier Street, Paddington NSW 2021, reaching the Greens Road and Oxford Street intersection. New paths link the space with Oxford Street, Greens Road and Rosebud Lane.
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- 📍UNSW College of Fine Arts (COFA) campus
Frequently asked questions about Napier Street Open Space
Is there seating at Napier Street Open Space?
Yes, you can sit on the curved seating walls or along the concrete edge on the eastern side.
Is there shade at Napier Street Open Space?
Yes, mature fig trees and Bangalow Palms shade the space.
Is there a café near Napier Street Open Space?
Yes, a café in the adjoining COFA building fronts the Napier Street closure, beside a new entry foyer.
Are the paths at Napier Street Open Space lit at night?
Yes, pole lights and LEDs light the pathways after dark.
Has Napier Street Open Space won any awards?
Yes, it received an NSW landscape architecture award in the Design category in 2014.