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Article from issue 12/2008 »Urban Space and Landscape«

Viewing Ring in Sydney

documentation p. 1420 - 1424
Architect Durbach Block Architects | Structural Engineer Arups |

Drafts
1:2000 Elevation
1:2000 View from above
1:20000 Site Plan
1:50 Vertical sections

Set more than 20 m above a lake in an abandoned quarry and with a diameter of roughly 180 m, this circular steel structure serves as a platform for observing the threatened golden tree frog, which has made its home in this biotope. Laid out along the ring are telescopes and an exhibition on the history of the quarry and the evolution of the amphibians who live there. The information is printed on the glazing of the outer wall, which consists of transparent glass panels and perforated aluminium sheeting. The slender steel structure com-prises 26 cruciform supporting elements tied together at the top and the points of intersection and braced by steel cables. Access is via two bridges from the edge of the quarry.