Slowly but surely over the past decade, Barangaroo has been transformed from the featureless and forgotten outer edge of Darling Harbour into one of Sydney’s most vibrant hospitality and retail destinations. What was once a barren expanse of concrete and docklands now sports a native plant reserve, countless restaurants and bars, 21st-century-minded office complexes and the recently minted tallest building in the city, Crown Tower.
However, one stretch of the foreshore remains a building site, separating the reserve at the headland from the main drag of South Barangaroo leading down towards Darling Harbour and the city. Following a lengthy tender process and several years of behind-the-scenes development, we now know what this final part of the massive urban renewal undertaking will look like. It will go by the name Barangaroo Central, and it’s quite a departure from the skyscrapers that have dominated much of the construction work in the area in recent years.
Created by a collective of architectural design firms, coordinated by lead contractor Aqualand, the $2.5 billion dollar project will feature a two-hectare waterfront park, culture venues, and of course, plenty of hospo and retail space. It’s been conceived as a foil to the neighbouring towers, with green spaces and eco-minded, mid-rise architecture front of mind. It will also be the location of the new Metro station that will provide easier access to the newly completed Walsh Bay Arts and Culture precinct, as well as the new cultural venues that will be created at Nawi Cove. However, locals are still contesting one of the tallest buildings in the latest plans: a 21-storey mix-use apartment and office block that residents say will ruin the western views from Observatory Hill. Construction on the ambitious project is expected to be completed by late 2024.