SWRL Glenfield to Leppington Rail Line – Integrated Art & Heritage Strategy
As part of the Glenfield to Leppington Railway project in Western Sydney, KI Studio, in collaboration with AMBS, was responsible for the art strategy and heritage interpretation, which was resolved in a consolidated manner through integrating heritage interpretation elements with contemporary artworks.
Artworks were integrated within built form elements on high pedestrian traffic areas such as the stations, applying a contemporary design with an uncluttered visual effect.
The integration of art contributes to the sense of place and identity of the overall project, sustaining the values of heritage places and landscapes and educating the surrounding community on the history of the locality.
The most significant artwork is the integration of vertical linear strips within the retaining walls at platform level. The strips represent an abstract representation of the market gardens and would be comprised of both silk screened compressed fibre cement panels, illustrating typical local market produce; and vegetated “green living strips” to provide greenery at the platform level.
An abstract interpretation of the linear and rectangular fields of the market gardens is created through the design that reflects varying strip widths, within a random, dynamic layout.
The concept provides interest, greenery, colour and playfulness to the platform level where passengers are waiting for the trains.
The plants grow through absorbing the moisture retained in the panel- unlike most European adopted green roof techniques that concentrate on draining away excess water.
