Born out of operational necessity and significant site constraints, the utilitarianism of the Mascot Traction Substation is now at odds with the surrounding urbanised landscape of O’Riordan Street of Mascot. Fostered by the functional, this screen offers delight within its urbanised landscape.
Like other public installations which grace the city of Sydney, the design concept was to provide security protection while at the same time mask a substation with a screen that had striking presence. The architectural strategy was quite simple: to enrich a street with an item that was sculptural-like. In effect it was public art that acquired the title, the Mascot Traction Substation Sculptural Screen Project.
Shaped by parametric modelling to evoke a sense of movement, the screen is conceptualised as the ‘playful’ dialogue between openness and enclosure, transparency and opacity, reveal and conceal. The sweeping panels harmoniously blends art with the urban: it is a design that enriches, inspires connection, fosters community interaction, and celebrates cultural expression. It is dynamic and transcends the functional to breathe aesthetic vitality into the public domain. The design choice for rusty shades of red is a nod to the industrial heritage of Mascot and its proximity to the Sydney Airport.
The design of the screen engages with the pedestrian, motorist, and the neighbouring resident. Height, rhythm and the interplay of dynamic patterns illuminated at night, coupled with varying degrees of transparency, create a multifaceted experience from each vantage point. For the pedestrian, the screen invites curiosity and interaction; for the motorist, it provides a fleeting sense of rhythm and motion; and for the residential neighbour, the screen is graceful and balances opacity with openness.
Client
Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW)
Engineer
Jacobs
Contractor
John Holland
