An ambitious concept for Australia’s largest mixed-use waterfront, Barangaroo Foreshore represents some 800,000m2 of public and private amenities; from offices, residential, retail and leisure, to hotels, gardens and a graduate campus.

Wrapped around the feet of the waterfront towers, its retail podium supports both visiting and working populations, offering diverse dining opportunities that extend into the promenade’s Wool Shed Market Halls with their lyrical floating canopies.

The Glass Regatta forms the scheme’s glittering centerpiece, with water cascading between its glazed fingers to filter rippling light into the main atrium. These waters flow on through overlapping ‘playing card’ pools before appearing to enter the harbour itself. A fluid design that connects city to shore, Barangaroo reclaims Sydney’s historic waterfront for its citizens.

 

Reflecting Sydney’s multicultural makeup, the design of Barangaroo’s Global Gardens holds a mirror to its population. Arranged along a central Aboriginal narrative, the gardens create a sequence of distinctive landscaped ideograms that graphically convey these different cultures.

 

The red sandstone Rainbow Serpent writhes from Headland Park to Southern Cove, connecting the garden rooms along the way. This undulating walkway banks up at every turn to provide elevated views across the meadows, allowing cafes and kiosks to be discretely tucked beneath its coils. A 1000-seater Garden Amphitheatre adds a verdant entertainment venue, while the Southern Cove climaxes in an architectural ‘splash’ of glass and timber, as the Harbour Star pavilion acts as the official welcome hall.