Sydney is home to an embarrassment of riches when it comes to the waterfront: The huge natural harbor of Australia’s most populous city is complemented by the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge, not to mention the building with the world’s most recognizable silhouette, Jørn Utzon’s Opera House.
Developers in the city, though, are not content to merely rest on their architectural laurels. Their next target for regeneration is Darling Harbour and the Barangaroo district, with construction recently commencing on two major master plans either side of one of Sydney’s most valuable stretches of waterfront.
Rendering of Barangaroo South. via Property Observer
Striving for quality and architectural prominence in this key location, developer Lend Lease has called in the heavyweights of the architectural world. A host of well-known firms now have commissions lined up for the harbor, the latest being Renzo Piano Building Workshop. Earlier this month, the studio unveiled proposals for a pair of glittering residential towers at an address that screams exclusivity — One Sydney Harbour — and naturally they will house luxury apartments offering panoramic views across the city. There is no question that there is demand, as 159 units in two adjacent buildings sold out within 3.5 hours of hitting the market in 2013.
Via Designboom
Piano’s towers are designed to integrate with the existing cityscape, as well as other landmark buildings planned for the waterside Barangaroo district. Here is a rundown of four more landmark projects earmarked for this prestigious precinct — decide for yourself which will benefit or detract from one of the world’s most iconic harbor fronts…
Via Barangaroo South
International Towers Sydney by Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners
A trio of pill-shaped towers has been proposed by RSHP to form the commercial core of the Barangaroo development. The office buildings will incorporate “vertical villages” — light and airy multi-use spaces midway up the towers, designed to foster community and a healthy working environment for employees.
The trio of stepped buildings bear all the hallmarks of the British firm’s design principles, from the expression of the structural frame to the bold colors enlivening the exterior. Indeed, when the development was awarded a 6-Star rating for its environmental credentials, Rogers reacted in typical style, painting the 23rd story of the middle tower green.
Via Wilkinson Eyre
Crown Sydney Resort Hotel by Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Wilkinson Eyre won an international design competition in 2013 with their proposal for the foremost landmark of the Barangaroo master plan, a soaring six-star hotel and casino comprised of “three petal forms that twist and rise together.”
Crown Resorts chairman James Packer is confident that the building will form an “instantly recognizable” icon for Sydney… but does the city really need more attention-grabbing architectural exuberance at the water’s edge? Wilkinson Eyre has produced a building that they hope strikes the perfect balance: a prominent, sail-shaped skyscraper that forms a landmark without overtly competing with the Harbor’s existing icons.
Via © SICEEP
International Convention Centre by Populous, HASSELL & OMA
On the other side of water, OMA master-planned another redevelopment plan, formulated back in 2012, code name “Darling Harbour Live.” London Olympic stadium designers Populous are collaborating with major Australian firm HASSELL to bring the project to fruition, with one of the focal points being the crystalline International Convention Centre.
The project has courted controversy as it replaces the landmark convention center designed by architect Philip Cox, who blasted the building’s demolition as “an act of vandalism.” On the flip side, Populous exalted the new structure’s qualities, deliberately cladding the building in materials that reflect its spectacular harbor outlook.
Via © SICEEP
Darling Harbor Theatre by Populous, HASSELL & OMA
The second standout building of Darling Harbour Live, the theater is designed to reflect the “re-emergence of the live music industry, with artists back on the road, along with social media, entertainment on demand and smart technology.”
How these phenomena will affect the programmatic layout of the building remains to be seen, but the building certainly appears to have been conceived with transparency in mind — both literally and figuratively. The glass-fronted civic building bears a resemblance to the work of other architects operating in the vicinity: There are echoes of OMA’s Seattle library here, along with the Pompidou in Paris by Rogers and Piano.
Sydney’s Barangaroo and Darling Harbour districts are evolving on such a grand scale that they are bound to bring with them a mixture of urban planning successes and failures in the coming years. One thing, however, is certain: As a global city with one of the most stunning waterfronts in the world, Sydney will remain one of my top architectural destinations: time to book a plane ticket again I think…
Yours famously,
The Angry Architect