Cultural Consultant Dharug Ngurra Aboriginal Corporation City of Parramatta ATSI Advisory Committee
Architect Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, Taylor Cullity Lethlean, and Gehl Architects

JMD design was engaged by City of Parramatta in 2015 to lead a multidisciplinary team 4² which included collaborators TCL (landscape architects), TZG (architects) with Gehl Architects as peer review for the transformation of the heart of Parramatta CBD. 

JMD design as lead consultant worked with a wide team of consultants, internal council specialists and community committees to establish parameters for the future public domain and deliver detailed documentation packes to the civic space.

Following the concept design phase, JMD design was engaged by Walker Corporation to carry out the next stages of Parramatta Square. 

The design acknowledges the multimodal, 24/7 use of the space and creates a highly flexible, contemporary civic space, that can accommodate various functions as well as being an events venue.

The 40m wide and 230m long square is oriented on the axis of St John Church which serves as a distant visual anchor, always present in a long view from the square

The square is mainly a hardscape paved area with tree canopy along its long sides, providing shade and balance to the scale of surrounding buildings without obstructing the ground plane. Stone bow tie planters along the sunny southern edge soften the civic design and create an opportunity for seating along the edge of the square.

A ‘Digital Carpet’ with distinct paving and evening light projection sits in front the Library as a ‘doormat‘, establishing the presence of this important public civic building on the Square.

A ‘Dharug Meeting Circle’ was designed next to the existing Town Hall in consultation with a local indigenous group combining a Fig tree, a circular seat and a fire pit to become a memorable Dharug landmark for people coming from Church Street. Two major artworks anchor the square at its eastern and western end.