Llankelly Place is a modest but bustling laneway connecting Orwell St and Darlinghurst Rd in Kings Cross. Lit by this series of large, brightly-coloured starbursts, inspired by the nearby El Alamein Memorial Fountain, this busy lane has become a much-loved Kings Cross landmark.
The lights and the decorative pavements beneath, both designed by architect Peter McGregor, transformed the dark, narrow passage into a welcoming pedestrian walkway.
The lights are arranged in a spectrum of colours, from red at the entrance to Darlinghurst Rd, through orange and yellow, to green where the laneway meets the small oasis of the Springfield Gardens at Orwell Rd.
In 2015, the lights underwent a major restoration. The 11 giant coloured ‘medallions’ were restored with new weatherproof light fittings and energy-efficient LED bulbs, new cables and wiring.
Within the fine grained, pedestrian laneway of Llankelly Place, eleven light screens have been inserted.
The transparency of the catenary structures, minimises visual clutter, preserves the silhouette of the sky and allows the lights to be seen in layers creating a rich spatial effect along the lane way.
From the Red lights adjacent to the historic red light district, the lights morph harmoniously thru the spectrum, thru orange, to yellow, ending in green adjacent to the large trees of Orwell place.
The upgrade of this space has been a catalyst for its transformation from a dark and seedy laneway into one of Sydney’s most vibrant eat streets.
Project Details
Project size – 200 m2
Completion date – 2015
Project Team
Architecture
McGregor Westlake Architecture
Since its founding in 1999, MWA has developed a reputation as an art and architecture practice with an award winning expertise in public domain projects.
Photography
Brett Boardman
Brett Boardman is an architectural photographer based in Newtown, Sydney.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Design © 2020 McGregor Westlake Architecture. All Rights Reserved. | Images © 2020 Brett Boardman. All Rights Reserved.
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