Harbourside Redevelopment

Harbourside at Sydney’s Darling Harbour is set to transform the waterfront into a dynamic place of public spaces designed to foster community and bring people together. 

Snohetta+Hassell’s collaborative vision for the new Harbourside mixed-use redevelopment, is an ambitious reimagining of Darling Harbour that includes 10,000sqm of public open space, a new public park, a rich mix of restaurants, bars, retail, and a waterfront plaza and promenade with connections from Pyrmont to the harbour’s shoreline. A 42-storey, high-end residential tower will create a new landmark within a site already layered with rich history.

Addressing the diverse needs of residents, tenants, and visitors who will live and work within and around the redevelopment, Harbourside will be a thriving, mixed-use precinct for the community of today, with adaptability to ensure it’s sustainable for years to come.

While a collection of retail and culinary pockets disperses the promenade, laneway precincts are for those looking to explore the very best of what Harbourside has to offer, with hidden gems of contemporary and luxury retail offerings and world-class dining experiences like no other. 

A future-focused workplace campus sits above the Waterfront Promenade, with sustainability, wellness and leading-edge technology in full force. Access to fresh air, green spaces and comfortable work zones form part of the first-class amenities, underpinned by the world’s best practice in workplace design and research. 

Snohetta+Hassell’s sustainable approach to Harbourside is multifaceted with biodiverse planting strategies forming an integral part of the precinct’s new character and identity. Our vision for Harbourside’s landscape embraces First Nations perspectives, reshaping public spaces with cultural depth and ecological sensitivity. 

The landmark Sydney site boasts a rich and layered history that offers a unique context for world-class architecture and place-making. Our design honours the Indigenous heritage and culture significant to Harbourside, adding depth to Tumbalong, as this place was originally known. Once a shared country for the Gadigal and Wangal people, this spirit of community and collaboration is fundamental to our vision. 

“Inspired and infused by nature, our architectural response fosters a sense of connection and generosity, featuring diverse public spaces, including a new waterfront park that invites both residents and visitors to engage with the landscape and each other.” 

– Liz Westgarth, Managing Director

Client

Mirvac

Location

Gadigal and Wangal Country
Sydney, Australia

Status

In progress

Year

2027

Scale

90,000sqm

Collaborators

Snohetta, Djinjama, Jiwah, Phillip Chun, AT&L, NDY, LCI, Arup, Enstruct, Frost Collective, Speirs Major, Ethos Urban, Curio Projects , Rowena Welsh Jarrett

Design team

Liz Westgarth, Jason Cuffe, Glenn Scott, Sarah Gilder, Sam Westlake, Katharine Turner, Melissa Doherty, Scott Walker, Lorenzo Tosti, Andrew Ewington, Elena Mehrabani, Jonathan Fleri, Sergeij Cantillo, Lihengi Li, Maddy Davidson, Kiara Carroll, Naomi Chan, Giselle Ou, Andrew Butcher, David Chair, Catherine Debicki, Bronwyn Uphill, Howard Zhao

Indigenous narratives are embedded into the design through the guidance of Indigenous planting specialist Clarence Slockee of Jiwah. Based on the ephemeral qualities of water, the integrated landscape features a network of welcoming open areas that highlight natural materials and native vegetation, fostering a connection to the land. 

At its heart is the Waterfront Garden – a space that will become Pyrmont’s new neighbourhood park and a vital community meeting place, just as the region was an important gathering place for First Nations people for thousands of years. Thoughtful landscaping, art installations, and interactive spaces will breathe life into the precinct, offering locals and visitors a powerful sense of connection and shared ownership.

“This concept continues the tradition of shared public space, honouring the First Nations’ Gadigal and Wangal people who saw this as shared country”

— Kaare Krokene, Managing Director of Snøhetta Australasia

The design draws on the work from Dr Daniele Hromek from Djinjama, expanding our understanding of how to design for ​‘Connection to Country’. Djinjama’s ambition is to improve the health and wellbeing of Country for Harbourside, ensuring the health of the waters is respected and not harmed during the construction process, and that there are spaces for cultural education with improved access to the precinct for the Indigenous community. 

Additionally, what underpins the Designing with Country framework is a Cultural Heritage Interpretation Strategy, jointly developed by Bila Group and Curio Projects, ensuring the redevelopment fosters genuine collaboration and cultural integrity throughout the site.

The revitalisation of Darling Harbour is set to unlock its great potential to be a well-loved community and civic asset. Harbourside will be a place, not a building, with deep connections to its context and communities. 

“The waterfront park is poised to become Pyrmont’s new neighbourhood park and a vital community hub. The revitalised waterfront promenade offers a dynamic, shaded edge along Sydney Harbour, creating memorable spaces for sitting, gathering, and celebrating.” 

– Jason Cuffe, Managing Principal

  • Biodiversity is celebrated and significantly improved through Harbourside’s thoughtful landscape design which supports the unique flora and fauna of its context. A tree-lined promenade, native planting and green roofs invite ecology into the site through habitat creation.
  • Elements of Sydney’s well-known and loved natural landscape are woven into the overall design concept for the new precinct, which includes Sydney Red Gums (Angophora costata), resplendent wildflowers and sandstone.
  • Planting strategies focusing on indigenous and native plant species conditioned to local environmental factors assist in reducing irrigation requirements across public spaces. Stormwater capture techniques are incorporated into the hydraulic design for Waterfront Garden, directing water run-off from paved and landscape areas to on-site storage and filtration tanks for reuse within the site, minimising the detrimental impacts of urban stormwater runoff on marine ecology.
  • Apartments are designed to optimise comfort, daylight and air quality, which is known to enhance the health and well-being of a building’s residents. The building’s passive design maximises its orientation to enhance daylight and cross-ventilation.
  • Low-embodied carbon aluminium that is responsibly sourced and verified by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative is used throughout the façade design for both the tower and podium.
  • Green roofs will reduce the urban heat island effect while supporting the local ecosystem and promoting biodiversity. 
  • The building and precinct are connected to sustainable modes of transport including the light rail and electric vehicle charging sits within the building’s basement. 
  • Diverse and inclusive spaces are thoughtfully designed to engage the community and foster meaningful social connections, ensuring the development brings lasting social value.
  • Harbourside is targeting a 6 Star Green Star rating