ARMORY Wharf Precinct in Sydney Olympic Park has won a swag of architectural awards.

Damian Leonard at the Armory Wharf Cafe. PICTURE: JOHN APPLEYARD

The precinct won the highest architectural accolade for urban design after being named the winner of the Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design at the recent Australian Institute of Architects 2009 National Awards.

Judges said the precinct’s reed-filled water feature running parallel with the river foreshore – as a habitat link for the green-and-gold bell frog – had been “particularly well handled”.

Formerly a working industrial area, the riverside wharf and existing seawall-retained riverbank were redeveloped into a public recreation area which includes a new cafe, shade shelter, public toilets and a new paved esplanade which features barbecue and picnic areas, children’s play area, water features, trees and lighting.

More than 5000 people visit the Armory Wharf Precinct on a busy weekend, Western Sydney Minister and Granville MP David Borger said.

Local Government Minister and Auburn MP Barbara Perry said the Armory Wharf Precinct, on the Parramatta River in Blaxland Riverside Park, was designed to include areas for community gatherings and cultural events, improved waterside cycleways and walkways, shaded picnic and barbecue areas, a pontoon and the new Armory Wharf Cafe.

The Armory Wharf Cafe recently won an award in the Urban Design Category at the NSW Chapter Awards 2009 for Architects (Hargreaves Associates, Lahz Nimmo and Lacoste Stevenson architects).

It also won an award in the Commercial Architecture Category for Lahz Nimmo Architects.