Parramatta Square Interpretation

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Client

City of Parramatta Council

Services

Interpretation/Art

Strategy

Sector

Cultural

Government

SUPERSENSE has developed interpretation design for Parramatta Square, a significant revitalisation and placemaking project at the heart of Parramatta. This space serves as a crucial public domain and central hub for showcasing Parramatta’s rich heritage and facilitating urban activation.

Working closely with specialist artisans, SUPERSENSE ensures that interpretation is integrated deeply into the architectural and landscape fabric of the site, rather than being a superficial layer. This approach aligns with SUPERSENSE’s philosophy of thorough research and consultation, aiming to deliver outcomes and experiences that authentically resonate with people and cultivate a strong sense of place.

SUPERSENSE has actively engaged in extensive consultation with Aboriginal and community stakeholders, involving workshops to collaboratively shape the stories to be told and determine the appropriate methods of storytelling. This inclusive process ensures that interpretive outcomes are inherently connected to the community and Aboriginal stakeholders, fostering significant ownership by all involved parties.

As part of the project, SUPERSENSE has created a library of graphic elements and public artworks. These range from straightforward artworking of historical photos to illustrated elements and abstract symbols, each serving different types of interpretation needs while maintaining a consistent material language to unify the overall design.

Key features of the interpretation include:
• historic stories integrated into granite seating
• symbolic representations in granite paving
• "On Country" markers embedded across multiple pavers
• archaeological markers
• and a continuous representation of a convict-built town drain stretching across the entire site.

Each element contributes to the site’s narrative and enhances the visitor experience by connecting them with Parramatta’s layered history and cultural significance.

Collaborator

JMD Landscape Architects

Photography

SUPERSENSE

The interpretation aims were to embed meaning in the environmental fabric and reveal layering of stories over time.

SUPERSENSE ensured the interpretation elements for Parramatta Square fitted seamlessly with the new modern urban public domain, through a clever range of etchings and metal details, that in themselves, are beautiful and insightful.