Sydney Open 2016

Australia’s premier open building event, Sydney Open unlocked the doors to some of the city’s most historic and architecturally inspiring buildings, usually off limits to the general public. Presented by Sydney Living Museums, Sydney Open offers visitors a behind-the-scenes look at 70 of the city’s most loved buildings and hidden architectural treasures across the CBD, Walsh Bay, The Rocks and Barangaroo. From places of historic significance to award-winning new buildings that will shape the city’s fabric and cultural life for generations.

Barangaroo

The redevelopment project comprises three precincts: Barangaroo South, Barangaroo Central and Barangaroo Reserve.

Barangaroo South

Barangaroo South is the southern third of the site and acts as an extension of Sydney's CBD, with office buildings, apartments, retail outlets, public spaces and a hotel. Three commercial skyscrapers designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners form the core of this stage; known as International Towers Sydney. The tallest is IT1 at 217 metres (712 ft). In addition to office space, it will also include a community or childcare centre. All three towers will feature retail on the podium levels.

Barangaroo Central will contain low-rise residential, commercial and civic buildings. James Packer's casino group, Crown Limited, presented an A$1 billion+ proposal to Premier O'Farrell in February 2012 to build a hotel, casino and entertainment complex at the site on land that is set aside for open space at Barangaroo Central. The Premier initially welcomed the proposal, yet cautioned it would need to gain regulatory approval before going ahead. The proposal drew widespread criticism from the Lord Mayor, Clover Moore MP, Paul Keating, and former government architect, Chris Johnson. In October 2012, Premier O'Farrell announced that the NSW Cabinet reviewed the proposal and decided that the government will enter into detailed negotiations with Crown Limited for the establishment of a casino and hotel complex at Barangaroo. Tony Harris, a former NSW Auditor General was critical of the decision−making process, claiming the public could miss out on millions of dollars. Businessman and former politician Dr John Hewson AM, Greens MP John Kaye, and Clover Moore were also critical of the process. Defending his position, Packer opined: Barangaroo Reserve Barangaroo Reserve is a 6-hectare (15-acre) re-created headland park at the northern end of Barangaroo. The park opened on 22 August 2015 and features a reconstructed, naturalistic headland based around the pre 1836 shoreline. After 1836, the original headland and foreshore was cut away to make space for wharves and stevedoring activities as Sydney became a major international port. The new headland is inspired by what existed before 1836 and restores the relationship with other headlands in Sydney Harbour. A design competition held in 2009/2010 was won by Johnson Pilton Walker, in association with PWP Landscape Architecture

Project status In December 2016 the new Clarence Street entrance to Wynyard Station was opened providing direct access from the Wynyard Station concourse to Kent Street, Clarence Street and the Wynyard Walk tunnel. Situated on the corner of Clarence Street and York Lane (near Margaret Street), this new entrance is fully accessible with escalators and lifts. This entrance also links to the re-opened Kent Street tunnel providing easy access from the Station to 275 Kent Street. This tunnel is open from 7am to 7pm, Mondays to Fridays. The Clarence Street entrance and Wynyard Walk are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In September 2016 the Wynyard Walk tunnel between Wynyard Station and Barangaroo was opened. This coincided with the opening of the third commercial tower at Barangaroo. Construction of a new pedestrian route between the corner of Kent Street and Margaret Streets and Sussex Street Bridge was completed in June 2016. The additional route includes stairs. In October 2015 the Sussex Street Bridge was opened, which connects the Wynyard Walk tunnel to Barangaroo South. In early 2014, construction at the Western Portal was put on hold to allow archaeologists to work on the site to preserve significant European and indigenous artefacts unearthed during excavation. The main construction contract for Wynyard Walk was awarded to CPB Contractors. (formerly Thiess pty Ltd) in September 2012, and major work on the project started in late 2012.

© State of New South Wales (Transport for NSW)

30 The Bond

30 The Bond was Australia’s first office building to achieve a 5 star NABERS Energy rating, and a 5 Star Green Star – Office As Built rating.

The nine-level building has floor-to-ceiling windows to its Hickson Road facade that are fitted with aluminium solar louvres, which repel heat and allow natural, controllable light into its office areas. Chilled-beam technology and naturally ventilated / mixed-mode spaces dramatically enhance indoor air quality while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

City Recital Hall

City Recital Hall was officially opened on 30 October 1999. It was the first purpose-built music venue to be established in Sydney since the Sydney Opera House in 1973. The shoebox shape design, mirrors the classic configuration of 19th-century European concert halls. Acoustic design consultants ARUP ensured the auditorium is exactly attuned for acoustic music. The 1238-seat auditorium is precision tuned at a reverberation rate of 1.75 seconds when occupied, and is supported on rubber bearings to dampen external vibration and street noise.

St James' Church

St James' Church is an Anglican parish church in the inner city of Sydney. Consecrated in February 1824 and named in honour of St James' the Great. It became a parish church in 1835. Designed in the style of a Georgian town church by the transport convict architect Francis Greenway during the governorship of Lachlan Macquarie, St James's is part of the historical precinct of Macquarie Street which includes other early colonial era buildings such as the Hyde Park Barracks. The church remains historically, socially and architecturally significant. The building is the oldest one extant in Sydney's inner city region. It is listed on the Register of the National Estate.

No1 Martin Place

The GPO designed by Colonial Architect James Barnet, was completed in stages between 1866 and 1891. When its clock tower was finally added. It would be the tallest civic structure in the city. It also remains one of the largest sandstone buildings in New South Wales. The Buchan Group designed a 26-level office tower, and the 31 level Westin Hotel. Heritage architects Lucas Stapleton Johnson helped integrate these around a glazed Grand Courtyard, and conserved the GPO’s elegant sandstone facade, colonnade and famous clock tower. In 2016 architects Fitzpatrick & Partners completed a refurbishment of levels 1-7 for Macquarie Group, where they cut through concrete floors to connect each level using the visual theatre of an Escher like staircase within a seven-storey atrium.

St Mary's Cathedral

The Cathedral Church and Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians (colloquially, St Mary's Cathedral) is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney. It is dedicated to the "Immaculate Mother of God, Help of Christians", Patroness of Australia and holds the title and dignity of a minor basilica, bestowed upon it by Pope Pius XI on 4 August 1932.

St Mary's has the greatest length of any church in Australia (although it is neither the tallest nor largest overall). is located on College Street in the heart of the City of Sydney where, despite the high-rise development of the Sydney central business district, its imposing structure and twin spires make it a landmark from every direction.