Darling Harbour Public Space Sydney

The Darling Harbour renewal is Sydney's most significant urban renewal in twenty years, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the precinct. The area is now home to the three dramatic buildings of the ICC Sydney and a luxury hotel, with a new mixed-use block to come. HASSELL worked closely with Infrastructure New South Wales and Lendlease on an urban design framework for the entire 20-hectare precinct, connecting the public space more tightly to the city and providing new places to gather, relax and play. Angus Bruce, HASSELL director and landscape lead, said people were at the core of the design. The client wanted a high-quality, open and flexible public space supporting both small informal gatherings and major programmed events, composed of lively districts that enhance the experience and themselves draw visitors. By reviving public green, integrating landscape and open space, and weaving water features, public art, plazas and performance spaces, HASSELL created venues for open-air concerts, circus, markets and street performance, as well as simple play in shallow pools. We wanted first-time visitors to be impressed and local office workers and residents, who use the space most, to return again and again, Angus said. Upgraded pedestrian, cycle and public-transport links now connect the precinct to adjacent neighborhoods, the harbor and central Sydney, previously disconnected. Integrated design blends public landscape with site-specific art and architecture, maximizing open space, sharpening cultural identity, tightening connections and widening views. The three ICC buildings share a continuous landscape language of platforms and materials, connecting seamlessly with surroundings; tiered landscape, elevated activity platforms and broad grass green roofs are linked by paths, overlooking the precinct. The renewed space attracts more residents and tourists, creating lasting social, economic and environmental value. The transformation includes: a vibrant event destination anchored by three public venues and Tumbalong Park, expanded 40 percent with stage, screens and lighting; a connected precinct with a 680-metre eucalyptus-lined boulevard linking Central Station and Cockle Bay; richer public experience including the Chinese garden plaza in front of Yi Yuan, with shallow pools for children and a market plaza when drained; a greener harbor with 650 new trees, 9,000 square meters of new greening and improved habitats using local plants, with crape myrtle as a nod to nearby Chinatown; and a unique Sydney story told through carefully designed artworks and expressive landscape features, including sculpture, audio-visual installations and a 600-square-meter tiered mural of native flowers, plus fountains including the refurbished Woodward Fountain. These major big-bang and small particle artworks were designed into the scheme and developed through extensive curation, Angus said; we want works people can keep exploring, that spark imagination, some telling Darling Harbour's long history and others lifting thought to wider horizons. The project also supports Sydney's broader open-space sustainability goals through water-sensitive urban design, greening and better walking; inner Sydney gains 30 percent more public space, and the project received a six-star Green Star community rating. The revived public space makes Darling Harbour one of the world's best places to live, learn, gather and be entertained.