Walsh Bay Redevelopment

“ This era of Sydney’s evolving modern face has been blessed, in my time as premier, with really good advice and great collaborating designers. Without this eager gathering of talent, this shrewd and intricate local enthusiasm, this hard-nosed and hard-fought love of this city, then our much acknowledged latter-day triumphs - the Conservatorium, Aurora Place, the Eastern Distributor, Anzac Bridge, Opera Quays, Angel Place and the many other quiet miracles that powered the city at the turn of the millennium - would not have achieved for Sydney the unfeigned esteem it now enjoys and richly merits worldwide. To this large list I proudly add the Walsh Bay development, another landmark by which a great city will be redefined.”

The Honourable Bob Carr Former Minister for Foreign Affairs

Introduction

The water and land-based buildings and vacant sites at Walsh Bay offer residential apartments, cafes, restaurants, retail, cultural and commercial buildings and an 850-seat drama theatre as well as commercial and retail space.

The redevelopment of the Walsh Bay precinct combines restoration and adaptive re-use of historic structures and new buildings which when combined, helped to reinvigorated this important but disused, waterfront area.

The masterplanning of this precinct managed the insertion of new development in an historic area restricted by a permanent conservation order. In addition, the masterplan resolved the conflict between pedestrian and vehicular movement in a commercially sensible manner.

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01 Walsh Bay c.1937, Royal Australian Historical Society 02 Pottinger Street Terraces03 Pier 6/704 Shore 6/705 Parbury06 Shore 8/907 Pier 8/908 Roslyn Packer Theatre

In the 1820’s, the first wharves were built at Walsh Bay to accommodate ships carrying trade to and from Sydney Harbour and Walsh Bay soon became a bustling commercial port. The original jetties eventually fell into disrepair and were demolished and rebuilt several times in the 1800’s.

The timber wharves and adjacent Bond Stores which exist on the site were built between 1910-1920. They were part of a

Development History

grand wharfage scheme envisaged for Sydney Harbour at the beginning of the 20th century.

With the advent of passenger jet travel and large modern container ships these wharves became obsolete. For nearly 30 years, with the exception of Pier 4/5, the site remained largely unused and stood derelict with their wooden structures suffering badly from neglect and termite infestation.

01 Walsh Bay (c.1937, Royal Australian Historical Society)

02 Map of Sydney and Environs (c.1929, State Records NSW)

03 Walsh Bay (c.1949, State Records NSW)04 Walsh bay (c.1919, State Records NSW)

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Pier 6/7 was an integral part of the first stage of the Walsh Bay Redevelopment, one of Australia’s major urban renewal undertakings.

Pier 6/7

Pier 6/7 was rebuilt in a contemporary and innovative manner, just as the historic wharf structures were in their day. The construction utilised principles of ecologically sustainable development (ESD) and robust maritime materials such as timber and stainless steel, appropriate to the location.

The pier provides 140 apartments in single and double storey configurations, residents’ common areas, a gym and health club, boat moorings and car parking.

Pier 6/7 was an important piece of infill architecture on Sydney Harbour’s foreshore.

It needed to relate in scale, form and grain to the magnificent timber wharf and shore structures nearby.

At the same time, it was necessary to express clearly its function as luxury residential accommodation, just as the adjacent buildings expressed their function as cargo sheds when they were designed.

Combined with the Shore 8-9 apartments (containing another 99 apartments) and the public waterfront concourse, this project created an important new precinct for the people of Sydney.

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01 Pier 6/7 (commercial space)02 Shore 6/7 and 8/9 apartments (promenade cafe) 03 Shore apartments (internal space)04 Pier 6/7 (swimming pool)05 Pottinger Street Terrace

Seventeen grand terrace homes were designed for a vacant site, overhead a 1920’s reinforced concrete bond store structure, in Pottinger Street, Walsh Bay. The luxury homes were designed to reflect the context of the nearby terrace houses along Lower Fort Street, yet maintain a contemporary expression.

Each terrace addresses the street and contains a garden and a rear private courtyard. As the site was steeply stepped to the south from Pottinger Street, a central atrium was provided for light and solar access.

Pottinger Street Terraces

The Parbury is located in a sensitive heritage context immediately adjacent to an historic brick wool store and the Sydney Theatre Company. During construction, ruins of early Sydney homes were discovered directly beneath the new building. This required a significant revision to the design to allow the ruins to be retained and displayed as part of the building.

The building houses 33 two and three bedroom apartments over 10 levels. Most apartments has views to the harbour and all are designed with generous spaces, outdoor balconies and good quality fitout.

The Parbury fits comfortably into its context, its scale, façade patterning and materials palette, all in harmony with the adjacent buildings.

The Parbury

The Roslyn Packer Theatre is a first class 857-seat drama theatre located in the heart of the Walsh Bay heritage precinct. The venue utilises the latest in theatre and design technology to ensure optimal audience conditions with excellent sight lines and acoustic environment. The auditorium, foyers and fly tower occupy the space created by the demolition of a 1950’s warehouse. Back of house and support facilities are located within adjacent heritage buildings.

The building has a contemporary design language that harmonises with the industrial nature of the precinct and is a

The Roslyn Packer Theatre (previously known as Sydney Theatre) cements the Walsh Bay area as an important cultural precinct within Sydney.

Roslyn Packer Theatre

synthesis of a complex function with an unusual site: partly open land and partly occupied by important heritage buildings.

Since opening, the theatre has achieved the highest performance standards for both the actors and the audience.

The theatre currently houses several major arts institutions, most notably: The Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Dance Company and Sydney Writers’ Festival.

The design of Roslyn Packer Theatre was driven by a number of concepts. Firstly, the design aims to create a state of the art performance venue in a sensitive heritage precinct. Externally, it is consistent in its scale materiality and detailing with the adjacent heritage buildings. Internally, it is the interplay between the geometrically complete form of the auditorium and the interstitial spaces that comprise the foyers. Together they occupy the void created by the demolition of a 1950’s warehouse, the auditorium form is inserted into this space and the foyers occupy the residual space

between the walls of the auditorium and the surrounding heritage buildings that house the support and back of house functions.

The external wall of the auditorium is clad in coloured and patterned timber battens salvaged from the site and composed piece by piece by the architectural team.

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01 Roslyn Packer Theatre (practice room)02 Roslyn Packer Theatre (entrance)03 Roslyn Packer Theatre (stairwell)04 Roslyn Packer Theatre (seating)

Pier 6/7 Floor Plan and Section

Shore 6/7 Floor Plan and Elevation

Pottinger Street Terraces Floor Plan

Parbury Floor Plan

Roslyn Packer Theatre Floor Plan

Roslyn Packer Theatre Section

Project Recognition

AWARDS

WALSH BAY REDEVELOPMENT2005 Urban Taskforce Development

Excellence Award, Overall Winner

2005 RAIA Lloyd Rees Award, Civic Design

2004 Australia Award for Urban Design, Heritage Waterfront Award

2003 UDIA NSW Awards for Excellence, Mixed-use Development

2003 HIA 2003 NSW Housing Awards, Residential Lifestyle Development

2002 PIA Awards for Excellence – Urban Design, Plans and Ideas

2003 UDIA NSW Awards for Excellence, President’s Award

2003 API Excellence in Property Awards, Heritage Award

PIER 6/72003 UDIA NSW Awards for Excellence,

Environment

2003 API Excellence in Property Awards, Property Development Award

2003 MBA of Australia Excellence in Construction Awards, Innovation – New Product – Operable Louvres

2003 MBA of Australia Excellence in Construction Awards, Best use of Steel

2003 MBA of Australia Excellence in Housing Awards, Home Units $1 million

2003 HIA Housing Awards, NRMA Insurance Home of the Year

2003 HIA Housing Awards, Best Use of Steel

2003 HIA Housing Awards, Apartment Project of the Year

2003 HIA Housing Awards, Apartment Project less than 10 storeys

2003 HIA Housing Awards, Energy Efficient Home of the Year

2003 HIA Greensmart Awards, Smart Housing

2002 MBA of Australia Excellence in Construction Awards, Civil Engineering Project over $10 million

2002 MBA of Australia Excellence in Construction Awards, Construction Excellence

2002 MBA of Australia Excellence in Construction Awards, Best Use of Concrete

2002 MBA of Australia Excellence in Construction Awards, Civil Engineering Project over $10 million

2002 Institute of Engineers Australia Excellence Awards, Project Development – Building and Asset Management

POTTINGER STREET TERRACES2003 UDIA NSW Awards for Excellence,

Urban Renewal

2002 UDIA Awards for Excellence, Urban Renewal

2003 HIA Housing Awards, Townhouse/Villa Project of the Year

2002 HIA Housing Awards, Medium Density Project of the Year

2002 HIA Housing Awards, Medium Density Project over 10 Dwellings

2002 MBA of Australia Excellence in Housing Awards, Residential

2002 API Excellence Awards, Excellence in Property Development

2002 AIB National Excellence Awards, Best Multiple Residences

2002 AIB Excellence Awards, Best Residential Project, Multiple Residences over $10 million

PARBURY2003 Masonry Contractors Association

Awards for Excellence, Brickwork: Commercial and Public Buildings

ROSLYN PACKER THEATRE (FORMERLY SYDNEY THEATRE)2004 RAIA Merit Award for Public Buildings

2003 Masonry Contractors Association Awards for Excellence, Brickwork: Commercial and Public Buildings

2003 Masonry Contractors Association Awards for Excellence, Specialisation (Brickwork)

2003 Master Builders Association of Australia Excellence in Construction Awards, Best Use of Bricks

CLIENTWalsh Bay Partnership (a Mirvac/Transfield joint venture)

LOCATIONWalsh BaySydney, NSW, Australia

ARCHITECTHPA Architects in association withPTW Architects

BUILDERMirvac/Transfield

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERArup

FAÇADE ENGINEERArup

MECHANICAL ENGINEERConnell Mott McDonald

ptw.com.au

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERHarron Robson

HYDRAULIC ENGINEERDalgairns Partnership

WIND AND REFLECTIVITYWindtech

MARINE ENGINEERPatteron Britton

ENVIRONMENTALDames & Moore

HERITAGE ARCHITECTTropman & Moore

SURVEYORDenny Linker & Co

QUANTITY SURVEYORWT Partnership

PHOTOGRAPHYRowan TurnerPatrick Bingham-Hall