Potts Point
2005

“…this small girl school found itself increasingly squeezed, over time, between heritage real estate and we were searching for a way to take advantage of that...”

Nestled into the dense urban grain of Potts Point, St. Vincent School is landlocked within a street network and existing heritage buildings with very little available open space.

Lippmann Partnership’s proposal was to excavate a multi-level car park below street level which would free up opportunities for cafes and restaurants above. The extension of the existing urban street life from Victoria Street down Challis Avenue was considered desirable if acoustic issues and overdevelopment were appropriately avoided. It also ensures the project’s commercial viability.

The resultant space above is a platform with panoramic views of Woolloomooloo Bay, the Domain and Sydney’s cbd. An extension of open space combined with a multi-purpose facility was proposed to replace the existing dilapidated swimming pool to provide sports uses, a function centre and class rooms. Importantly, this new facility could belong to the local community just as much as the school itself.