UK consulting engineer Arup, Australian design firm Spresser and architect Peter Besley have won a competition to design a pavilion for Barangaroo on Sydney’s waterfront.
The competition brief required entrants to create "an exemplary work of architecture, that was ambitious, artistic and poetic, while remaining functional for its required purpose" as a public gathering place.
The winning entry was a carbon-neutral, kite-shaped building with a columned portico and a landscaped roof that can host events.
Rob Stokes, New South Wales’ minister for planning and public spaces, said the Arup team had been picked from the 170 entrants because its design celebrated "the natural elements of land, sea and sky that compose the site".
Arup said the team had aimed at a "timeless" look, but one local touch was the use of oyster shells in the concrete mix, which refers to the oyster gathering that used to take place on the waterfront. Â
Billie-Grace Dunk, Arup’s project manager, said: "The Barangaroo Pier Pavilion will give the city a new place to enjoy, connect and meet, and take in the sights of Sydney Harbour. With its simple and elegant design, it speaks to the history and landscape of Barangaroo and considers the users and future of the land."
Images courtesy of Spresser/Peter Besley
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