A humble maintenance shed forms the pivot point for a wider ten-year masterplan to renew and develop Chatswood Oval for the benefit of the local community.

As part of a series of small capital works projects for Willoughby Council, Bijl Architecture was commissioned to design a new groundskeepers’ shed at Chatswood Oval. The masterplan for development at Chatswood Oval over the next ten to twenty years was led by the overall goal of meeting the changing demands of a local growing community, CBD workers and people who regularly visit the park. Under this guide, one of the early stages called for the demolition of the existing ‘concrete cancer’ riddled Cedric Pike Pavilion, the base of which housed the park’s maintenance facilities.

The building had unusual requirements, including sufficient uninterrupted wall space to store the 15m long rugby goal posts during cricket season. Other aspects of the brief included providing dedicated soil bays, storage for other sporting equipment and chemicals, and maintenance equipment such as the pitch rollers and mowers. A contemporary wedge footprint was adopted to accommodate these requirements, making best use of the available site area and improving accessibility.

The new groundskeepers’ shed was relocated from the western side of Chatswood Oval to sit closer to public roadways, and replaced an existing brick depot in a particularly leafy section of the site. In response, the low elongated form employed the use of dark Bowral Blue bricks to blend in with the significant Bunya Pine coverage. Brick detailing is carefully deployed, referencing the heritage listed Trumper Pavilion that sits opposite on the northern side of the oval.

Photographer: Mark Syke