Anzac Park Public School occupies the site of the former North Sydney Anzac Memorial Club, providing accommodation for up to 1,000 students. Addressing a significant shortfall in primary school student places on the Lower North Shore, the school provides a learning environment that explores new and innovative education methods in an urban setting.
The new building is located on the footprint of the former Anzac Club building, with the existing bowling greens and games courts recycled as the school’s open play space. A number of innovative design strategies were employed to address the challenges presented by a brief for a large school population on a compact site, and to maximise opportunities for outdoor play and learning. These strategies included:
- Accommodating the school in a four storey building, with a roof terrace that provides space for outdoor learning and quiet play. - Transforming the Hall into a covered outdoor play area by raising fold-up doors on 3 of its sides. - Scattering smaller covered outdoor “social spaces” through the building. - Installing a bank of slides that negotiates a substantial change in level between two outdoor play spaces, and encourages active play in a relatively small space.
- The project recently featured in an SBS World News story on new approaches to education.
