For decades, we’ve mostly thought about recycling in terms of materials. But as our cities grow denser, the reimagining of community spaces is becoming just as vital. FORGE recently contributed to a fantastic example of both—materials and place—at the former Channel 9 television studios on Sydney’s lower north shore, in collaboration with Mirvac and McGregor Coxall.

With ongoing population growth and a rising preference for apartment living, many of Australia’s cities are rethinking how space is used. One outcome is the growing trend of brownfield developments, where former commercial or industrial sites are being thoughtfully transformed into vibrant residential communities—helping breathe new life into underutilised urban areas.

Changing Density, Changing Needs

The postcodes may differ, but the pattern is familiar. Across the inner-city fringes of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, former light industrial areas are steadily giving way to residential developments. As population density increases, a trend is reshaping the traditional relationship Australians have with fenced backyards, sweeping lawns and private gardens.

We still crave feeling of grass under our feet. The elements on our skin. The sounds of birds and the wind in the trees. But faced with the proliferation of smaller homes and living areas (both indoors and outdoors), it’s creating very different demands on public amenity. Once little more than ‘nice to have’ community features, outdoor spaces such as parklands, sports courts and playgrounds are increasingly needing to function as essential extensions of private living spaces and be incorporated seamlessly into urban masterplans.

NINE Lives

Now admittedly, we may be little biased given we worked on the project. But the recently-completed NINE by Mirvac community in Sydney provides a great example of what’s possible, even when the footprint is quite restricted.

For more than half a century the site in Willoughby was home to the Channel 9 Sydney television studios. Since its final broadcast in November 2020, the former commercial precinct has undergone a remarkable ‘recycling’, transformed into a fast-growing residential community just 9km from the heart of the Sydney CBD.

Photo: Rhett Wyman

With a focus on vertically oriented apartment living, it’s fair to say space is at a premium at NINE. However thanks to a thoughtful masterplan that prioritises outdoor amenity and connection, residents are still able to enjoy safe and direct access to more than 6,500sqm of optimised open space, with an abundance of communal areas to meet, play or simply relax in the sunshine.

Recycling an Icon

One of the most popular outdoor areas at NINE is the ‘Parabol’ Playground - an ambitious space conceived by renowned landscape architects, McGregor Coxall, and brought to life by FORGE. Paying tribute to the site’s broadcasting heritage, the custom hero play structure features the recycled tip of the old steel transmission tower that soared 233 metres above Sydney from 1965 to 2019. Carefully restored and repurposed into a one-of-a-kind play experience, the tower also features a network of climbing nets, play decks and tube slides for children of all ages.

In so many ways, the entire NINE development is a fantastic example of ‘recycling’. By taking a once vibrant part of Sydney’s commercial past and reinventing it into a beacon for Australia’s urban residential future, it shows that even when the construction footprint is small, clever masterplans delivered with creativity and ingenuity can deliver long-lasting community benefits built upon safe and amenity rich outdoor spaces.

If you’d like to know more about FORGE’s involvement in the development and delivery of the Parabol Playground, please get in touch.