Cockatoo Island Clifftop Walk

RESEARCH BACKGROUND: JMD design (of which Anton James is a director) was engaged by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust to design and document Stage 1 of the Clifftop Walk on Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbour. The walkway was part of a major redevelopment of the island and the site is now extensively used for events such as the Biennale of Sydney. RESEARCH CONTRIBUTION: The walk spans from the top of the Northern Apron stair, along the sandstone cliff top in the East, through the former Brass Foundry, over the Granary Silos and to a landing that serves as the take-off to the future Turbine Shed elevated walk. This project continues Anton James' use of innovative design solutions that are sympathetic to the character and cultural significance of individual sites. The Walk allows increasing numbers of visitors to move more safely through the site and reveal both the layers of history and the physical character of the site. James has used simple, robust utilitarian materials in keeping with the island's mixed past as a prison and as a shipbuilding yard. RESEARCH SIGNIFICANCE: 'Cocktaoo Island Clifftop Walk' was reviewed in 'Scape (based in Basel), one of the world's leading magazines for landscape architecture and urbanism. Julian Raxworthy's review, 'An impressive walkway for Cockatoo Island', praised how the walkway weaved in and out of found objects on the island, so the structure acted as a kind of 'interpretation machine' that adds value to things that may have been seen as worthless. The design was both subtle and dramatic, Raxworthy wrote.研究背景：JMD设计事务所（由安东·詹姆斯（Anton James）担任董事）受悉尼港联邦信托委托，负责悉尼港鹦鹉岛崖顶步道第一阶段的设计与文档编制工作。该步道是该岛重大再开发项目的组成部分，如今场地已广泛用于悉尼双年展等各类活动。 研究贡献：步道以北平台楼梯顶部为起点，沿东侧砂岩崖顶延伸，途经原黄铜铸造厂，穿过谷仓筒仓，最终抵达一处平台——该平台将作为未来涡轮机棚高架步道的出发节点。本项目延续了安东·詹姆斯的一贯设计思路：采用贴合场地特色与文化价值的创新设计方案。该步道使日益增多的访客能够更安全地穿梭于场地之中，同时展现场地的历史层次与物理风貌。詹姆斯选用了简洁耐用的实用型材料，契合该岛曾作为监狱与造船场的混杂历史背景。 研究意义：“鹦鹉岛崖顶步道”曾获位于巴塞尔的《景观（Scape）》杂志报道——该杂志是全球领先的景观建筑与城市主义期刊之一。朱利安·拉克斯沃西（Julian Raxworthy）在题为《鹦鹉岛令人印象深刻的步道》的评论中，称赞该步道巧妙融入场地原有废弃物件，使其成为一种“诠释机器”，为原本可能被视作无价值的事物增添了价值。拉克斯沃西写道，该设计既含蓄内敛又富有戏剧性。