Cook and Phillip Park Aquatic and Fitness Centre
| Cook and Phillip Park Aquatic and Fitness Centre | |
|---|---|
| Address | 4 College Street, Sydney, NSW |
| Postcode | 2001 |
| Opened | 1999 |
| Operator | YMCA NSW |
| Owner | City of Sydney Council |
| Type | Fitness and Aquatic Centre |
| Length | 50 metres (160 ft) |
| Website | http://www.cookandphillip.org.au/ |
| Facilities | |
| gymnasium, indoor basketball court, lap pool, recreational pool, toilets | |
Cook and Phillip Park Aquatic and Fitness Centre is a recreational facility in the Central Business District of Sydney.
It was co-designed by architect Lawrence Nield of Bligh Voller Nield and landscape architect Spackman Mossop and has been plagued by construction issues and criticism since its opening in 1999.
The Centre has a 50-metre swimming pool, leisure pool, gym and a multi-functional indoor court that is used for basketball and indoor soccer. Cook and Phillip is one of a number of facilities owned by the City of Sydney, that includes Ian Thorpe Aquatic and Fitness Centre, Andrew Boy Charlton Pool, Victoria Park Pool and Prince Alfred Park Pool.
The Centre is located within Sydney's Central Business District in Cook and Phillip Park. The park lies between William Wardell's 1862 St Mary's Cathedral and James Barnet's wing of the Australian Museum. The Centre is on the corner of William and College Streets and lies beneath Cathedral Square.
The original site of the Cook and Phillip Park Centre consisted of a park divided by two roads and the privately owned, City Bowling Club. Former Lord Mayor of Sydney Frank Sartor was the driving force behind the development when he unveiled preliminary plans for a $30 million revamp of the site in September 1996. The plan for the site was to create a contemporary park precinct within Sydney's CBD. The strategy for the Centre was applauded by architecture critic Elizabeth Farrelly, who said that it would be "substantially increasing the city's open space quotient, creating a new public amenity and offering an exciting urban opportunity, you'd have to say it's pretty hard to beat".
The City of Sydney appointed co-designers in Bligh Voller Nield and landscape architect Spackman Mossop with construction commencing in November 1997. The development involved the removal of the bowling club and Boomerang Street and Haig Avenue. The Centre was officially opened by Lord Mayor Frank Sartor in August, 1999 after months of delays and nearly $10 million over-budget.
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