Parramatta Aquatic Centre

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Client

City of Parramatta Council

Services

Interpretation/Art
Digital
Curation/Content
Strategy

Sector

Cultural
Government

At the core of our practice is creatively and evocatively interpreting history and community connections. At Parramatta Aquatic Centre, we finalised the interpretation strategy and collaboratively conceptualised, designed, and developed a suite of culturally immersive interpretation across multiple sensory mediums throughout the pool and its surrounding landscape.

SUPERSENSE had the privilege of working with the Dharug Cultural Specialist Panel (DCSP) – a group of local Aboriginal Traditional Owners - to bring local Aboriginal stories to life. Tasked with realising interpretation in innovative ways, our collaborative group conceptualised and designed a range of outcomes across various mediums, both physical and digital interpretation. SUPERSENSE's role was to design and manage a bespoke collaboration process.

The pool stands as a dramatic architectural statement, a circular incision on Mays Hill constructed from concrete, steel, and rock contained within gabion cages. The circular motif of the architecture is reflected in the design of panels, graphics, and the shape of major interpretive interventions.

Situated within Mays Hill's historic landscape, the pool offers sweeping views over Parramatta Park and the city. The interpretation focuses on the theme ‘Points of View’, leveraging the elevated circular section of the pool to highlight Aboriginal stories and truth-telling, colonial histories of the area, and a resonant cultural placemaking approach.

Co-design collaborators

Dharug Cultural Specialist Panel (Aunty Julie Webb, Corinna Norman, Leanne Mulgo Watson)

Architecture

Andrew Burges Architecture / Grimshaw Architecture

Landscape Architecture

McGregor Coxall

Photography and video documentation

SUPERSENSE
Outside look of the Parramatta Aquatic Centre Digital Experience
At Parramatta Aquatic Centre we finalised the interpretation strategy, and collaboratively conceptualised, designed and developed a suite of interpretation across multiple sensory mediums across the pool and its surrounding landscape.
+ Read More
Digital Experiences, Parramatta Aquatic Centre
Up close look at the detail of the multimedia design
SUPERSENSE have always worked in a way that is culturally safe and appropriate and I value the ongoing opportunities to work with this amazing team.
Julie Bukari Webb
Dharug Custodian and Knowledge Keeper
Outside view of the stairs with digital experiences
Creative technology used for the art design
Detailed view of the digital interpretive art
"SUPERSENSE worked closely with Dharug custodians, ensuring their voice and expression of culture and Country is meaningfully integrated to built fabric."
Michelle Desailly
Heritage Manager, City of Parramatta Council
Outside look of the Parramatta Aquatic Centre Digital Experience
At Parramatta Aquatic Centre we finalised the interpretation strategy, and collaboratively conceptualised, designed and developed a suite of interpretation across multiple sensory mediums across the pool and its surrounding landscape.
+ Read More
Digital Experiences, Parramatta Aquatic Centre
Up close look at the detail of the multimedia design
SUPERSENSE have always worked in a way that is culturally safe and appropriate and I value the ongoing opportunities to work with this amazing team.
Julie Bukari Webb
Dharug Custodian and Knowledge Keeper
Outside view of the stairs with digital experiences
Creative technology used for the art design
Detailed view of the digital interpretive art
"SUPERSENSE worked closely with Dharug custodians, ensuring their voice and expression of culture and Country is meaningfully integrated to built fabric."
Michelle Desailly
Heritage Manager, City of Parramatta Council