Parramatta Escarpment Boardwalk

The boardwalk is a crucially important piece of infrastructure for Parramatta and is one of the key missing links that resolves continuous foreshore access for pedestrians and cyclists from the University of Western Sydney at Rydalmere to Parramatta Park.

It also provides a new set of stairs up to Stewart Street and Macarthur Street to ensure safe and direct access for the public and local school students.

Completed in early 2021, the project builds on Parramatta Council’s ambition to refocus the city to the river, and will contribute to waterside celebrations, activation and recreation.

Tonkin was engaged to provide concept design, detailed design and construction phase services for the three-metre wide concrete walkway and cycleway.

Located opposite the Parramatta River Wharf, the boardwalk was designed to provide a link to Parramatta Valley Cycleway, which connects Parramatta Park to Melrose Park through completely off-road facilities.

Our scope included structural design and project management services for:

Tonkin worked closely with Hill Thalis and the broader project team to develop a cost-effective, inherently constructible structural solution for this high-profile public realm project.

Designed to build on the site’s inherent spatial drama, the sinuous alignment of the elevated walkway perched above the shale escarpment provides an elegant connection between the water and the land.

The new path and boardwalk alignments have been set out to seamlessly resolve the coexisting site geometries. The path is episodic: longer and straighter in some sections, and more curving and sinuous in others.

As part of the design phase of the project, Tonkin usedRevit 3D modelling to capture the architecturally designed alignments of the proposed concrete boardwalk structure. This enabled a clear view of the boardwalk’s relationship with the existing shale escarpment, which delivered an optimised and considered design.

Working closely with the lead architect and City of Parramatta throughout the project, we provided guidance and advice, including alternatives during the project design phase. Our transparent approach was instrumental in developing a contemporary and durable design that could be constructed within Council’s fixed budget.

With a strong focus for end-user safety, considerable attention was given to safety throughout both the design and construction phases of the project. To facilitate a safe user experience, safety standards were considered, and appropriate handrails and barriers were incorporated into our innovative design.

Significantly, the boardwalk is located adjacent to the only exposed shale cliff escarpment in the Sydney basin. Our design avoided impact on this significant geological feature by providing an innovative stair structure that will appear to float off the side of the rock face.

Tonkin’s collaborative approach to design delivered the City of Paramatta with the long-awaited boardwalk that connects the city and the river. The new boardwalk is modern architectural feature that has been designed with the local community in mind.

In March 2022, Tonkin also received Consult Australia's Award for Excellence in Innovative Design for our work on the Parramatta Escarpment Boardwalk.

Held annually, the awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of Consult Australia’s member firms.