Central Station – Rose Nolan – Public Art
Rose Nolan’s ‘All Alongside of Each Other’ is located in the metro concourse and northern entrance of Sydney’s Central Station. This large scale red-and-white terrazzo floor installation, combined with polished stainless steel text sculptures, transforms the bustling transit hub into an immersive art experience. Seamlessly blending heritage elements with modern design, the artwork enriches the space with its bold visuals and meaningful engagement.
The artwork’s text-based elements offer meditative prompts, creating moments of reflection for commuters. These words, seen on approach from the Eddy Avenue entrance, beckon travelers into the concourse, establishing a playful yet grounding connection to the surrounding environment.
Rose Nolan is an Australian artist celebrated for her text-based installations and large-scale public artworks. Her practice explores themes of collaboration, connection, and shared human experience, often employing simple materials and bold graphic designs to create impactful works that resonate across diverse audiences.
“All Alongside of Each Other offers an open and affirmative text based proposition to celebrate the daily passage of people as they move together through the portal of Sydney’s iconic Central Station.
It is a playful and unifying refrain that draws on shared journeys and the experience of travel and movement, using the literal concept of transport connections (parallel tracks, shared platforms, timetables) to consider the more abstract idea of connections to people, place, culture, past and present.”
Our studio managed the design and fabrication of the polished stainless steel text sculptures, ensuring their bold finish and seamless integration into the station. During installation, we oversaw precise placement to align with Nolan’s vision, creating a dynamic entry feature for commuters.
Artwork 1 consists of a 22m long, 1.2m high set of letters: ‘All Alongside of Each Other’ and has been commissioned by Sydney Metro as part of the once-in-a-generation upgrades to the iconic station.
Artwork 2, The ‘clock wall’, pays homage to time and rail through a series of cleverly crafted GRC panels and an original Central Station clock, or the fragments of history excavated during construction and displayed deeply lit in a large, perforated steel installation.
