REDEFINING NATURE
How does water redefine our perception of nature in the urban framework of Sydney’s Inner West?
The walk ‘Redefining Nature’ plays out through residential front lawns, to pocket parks and parklands, and the urban concrete jungle of Sydney’s Inner West. Individuals are immersed in the senses of water, encouraging them to reflect and re-imagine their perceived ideas of the natural.
Each intervention site focuses on a different water sense. The first intervention is ‘flushing’. Flushing is cleansing; it is the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. Following the natural topography of the landscape the walker moves with the flow of water down Railway Ln.
The second intervention is ‘clogging’. Clogging is a blockage; a disturbance to flow. Located on Angel St, this site has been known as a dumping ground for waste, however now will serve as an area to stop and rest amongst bioswales collecting storm-water runoff. From here the walker quickly opens up onto the suburb’s busiest street, King St, prompting individuals into ‘Discovery Mode’. The walker moves through Sydney Park Wetland, immediately confronted by a wave of crisp air. Historical signage throughout the route tells the history of the now reclaimed landfill and industrial site, begging the question; ‘what is nature in the urban context?’.
As the walker continues deeper into the Park, the urban noise pollution becomes drowned out by the audio of constructed water features and birdlife. The third site is ‘soaking’ and conveys the environmental state of interconnectedness. It is a place which reminds the individual of the new perceived notion of the ‘natural’ around us. A place where all things become one.
By taking on the characteristics of water, the walker can appreciate and understand its importance in the wake of the anthropocene. An era which calls on a new kind of city. One which conveys syncretism in our landscape.