Unrealised Sydney
“There is something intrinsically fascinating in viewing quite audacious schemes from the comparatively recent past that never came to fruition. This also provides the opportunity to reflect upon the context from which these projects emerged and the challenges they faced.”
Prof. Robert Freestone
From August to November, 2022, the exhibition Unrealised Sydney was hosted at the Museum of Sydney. Guest curated by UNSW Professor of City Planning, Robert Freestone, it captured the Sydney that could have been – visions of buildings, precincts and architectural designs that never made it past the drawing board.
Through models, plans, sketches, film and interviews, the exhibition told the rich history of Sydney’s changing society, economy, technologies and art, capturing the utopian thought, social reform and development ideas that shape a city over time. Concentrating on the post-World War Two years, the exhibition provided the opportunity to reflect upon the context from which these projects emerged and the reception they faced. Many including redevelopment schemes for The Rocks and Woolloomooloo in the 1960s were very unpopular with the community at the time. They ultimately led to reforms in environmental planning and design excellence processes that have benefitted later generations.
The exhibition reminded us that vigilance is necessary to critique and contest contemporary designs with comparable negative impacts on communities, amenity and heritage. A public lecture by Professor Freestone in connection with the exhibition was co-sponsored by the City Futures Research Centre and is available here
UNSW Built Environment team
Prof. Robert Freestone
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