Architect: Aspect Studios
Client: City of Sydney
Location: Sydney, NSW
Partridge is providing hydraulic and civil engineering support for the renewal of Dixon Street, the cultural heart of Sydney’s Chinatown. The project, led by Aspect Studios for the City of Sydney, is currently at the tender stage and forms part of a broader plan to improve the public domain across Haymarket. Working alongside the design team, Partridge’s focus is on integrating effective stormwater and civil infrastructure solutions that are compatible with the site’s cultural, spatial, and environmental context.
Dixon Street is a high-profile precinct that demands sensitive design to maintain both its operational functionality and cultural identity. The existing heritage elements, including the Chinatown Ceremonial Gates and mature fig trees, are to be preserved and incorporated into the renewed streetscape. Alongside this, new interventions—including culturally symbolic paving, public seating, tree planting and a dynamic illuminated canopy are being introduced to enhance public amenity and create a stronger connection to traditional Chinese culture.
From a hydraulic engineering perspective, the upgrades pose several challenges. The precinct’s inner-city setting requires careful coordination with existing underground services, drainage infrastructure, and adjacent land uses. The goal is to improve surface water management and resilience during heavy rain events, while also contributing to the quality of the public domain experience.
Partridge’s role involves redesigning stormwater capture and conveyance systems to support the precinct’s new layout and material palette. This includes the integration of new tree pits and landscaped areas that must both manage runoff and accommodate root growth for future canopy development. Paving systems and surface gradients are also being re-evaluated to ensure compliance with accessibility and safety standards, while still supporting the cultural expression embedded in the new design elements.
This work builds on Partridge’s wider portfolio of urban civil infrastructure projects where public space, community identity and resilient hydraulic design intersect. In this case, the collaboration with Aspect Studios and the broader design team is not only about meeting functional performance criteria—it’s about enabling a vision for Dixon Street that is deeply rooted in place and culture, while being responsive to the evolving needs of the city.
