Sutherland Shire's most famous cemetery, Woronora Memorial Park is calling all locals to provide guidance for a landmark new Chapel to cope with growing numbers and the changing needs of the Shire community.
“This is an exciting opportunity to be a part of history in the making,” said Graham Boyd, CEO of The Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (SMCT) Board, which oversees Woronora.
“We’re reaching out to our community to make sure we create something in tune with local needs and values, as well as a building that tells a story about who we are now, to our future descendants.”
The SMCT Board invited a number of distinguished architects to respond to provide concepts for a future Chapel. They received 10 responses, all of which are available to be viewed and voted via a dedicated website with a survey.
Woronora currently has two Art Deco chapels onsite, built in the 1930’s. Cutting edge in their day, Mr Boyd now says they are struggling to cope with the increasing demands of 21st century services.
“We have two problems – one is the volume of services and the other is the number of people attending,” he said. “You’re looking at potentially up to 20% of people attending services in winter having to stand outside. Which for older people is particularly difficult.
“Add to that the need for state-of-the-art technology as more people provide digital presentations for the service, as well as features such as parking, space for children and reception facilities and it’s clear we need another Chapel that can help us serve the shire and surrounds more effectively.” Mr Boyd said the design brief was fairly open and asked the architects to consider practical details, as well as creating a building that both paid homage to the past and looked to the future.
“We asked them to create a vision of history now,” he said. “It’s about continuing the conversation with the community and providing a beacon for the future.”
The new Chapel is expected to hold up to 350 people, with inbuilt flexibility to hold smaller services concurrently.
Mr Boyd said the decision to invite community response was based on Woronora’s iconic status in the Shire. The park hosts in excess of 400,000 visitors a year, with around 2,100 cremations and 650 burials per annum.
The community’s top three designs will be invited to further develop their concepts before a final decision by the Board next year. Building is expected to commence in 2017.
Vote on the new Chapel design
Got an eye for good design? Woronora Memorial Park is asking the community to have their say on a proposed new Chapel in WoronoraMemorial Park.
With a growing population, more services have placedpressure on the Park’s two existing Art Deco Chapels.
Cutting edge in their day, the Board is hoping to make a similar splash with a contemporary piece of architecture. There are ten design concepts to choose from and you can view them all via a special website. This is your chance to have a voice in what promises to be an iconic legacy.
