Darling Harbour Sydney Public Realm

Our challenge was to reinvent one of Australia’s most visited public places – Darling Harbour in Sydney.

The 20-hectare waterfront precinct is a ​‘people magnet’ where Sydney comes together to relax, to do business, to be entertained, to enjoy city living – and to share their experiences (hello, Instagram).

Not surprisingly, the area’s transformation was a pivotal urban renewal project for the city. A once-in-a-generation chance to create a ​‘must see’ destination complete with convention centre, theatres and events spaces – all tied together with an array of parks, water features, plazas and paths for walkers and cyclists.

For our design team, there was only one way to get it right – by capturing the hearts and minds of people using the precinct. So every decision we made during the design process was about how to draw them in – and keep them coming back. Day after day. Week after week. Year after year.

Just three years on from completion, that’s exactly what’s happened. 

The area is bustling with activity, 24/7. It’s easier to use and more compelling, designed to meet the diverse needs of diverse users. 

Families taking their kids to play or splash in the shallow pools. Professionals attending a conference at ICC Sydney. Music fans enjoying an open-air concert. Communities gathering for a cultural festival. Local residents relaxing in their ​‘backyard’. Or people simply passing through, discovering public art or street performers.

Beyond all these events and activities, the renewal of Darling Harbour makes Sydney a more connected city. With new cycling and walking routes and better transport connections, it’s much easier for people to reach the precinct’s once-disconnected immediate neighbourhoods, as well as the harbour and the city centre. 

Public art

Public art heightens the experience of visiting Darling Harbour, with a range of artworks that educate, stimulate and engage visitors. We incorporated this important layer of work in our design process from the very start.

The ​‘big bang’ and ​‘fine grain’ artworks include Tidal Cascades by Robert Woodward – the precinct’s beloved fountain, restored and re-set into the ICC Sydney forecourt. Other works cover everything from an audio-visual installation to a soundscape to sculpture, including:

• data.scape by Ryoji Ikeda
• Sandstone Pollen by Maria Fernanda Cardoso
• Entelekheia by Danie Mellor
• Sound Habitat by Janet Laurence

Process

Our multidisciplinary team prepared the urban design framework for the entire 20-hectare precinct, drawing on their diverse skills and experience through each stage of the project.

The result is a design that seamlessly blends the public landscape and custom artworks with the architecture. It also maximises public open space, plays up cultural features, and improves connections and views across the precinct.

We united all three ICC Sydney buildings through consistent landscaping, terraces and materials. By thoughtfully stitching together all these elements, we’ve made it easier to move through the wider area – and created a place that looks and feels more cohesive and inviting.