The NSW Independent Planning Commission has approved an application from Mirvac for public domain works surrounding the company’s redeveloped Harbourside Shopping Centre project at Tumbalong/Darling Harbour in Sydney. The decision follows the commission’s approval for construction of the mixed-use residential and commercial tower, designed by Snøhetta and Hassell, which was granted in December 2023.
The $63.5 million overhaul of the public domain, which spans 11,200 square metres across the greater 20,500-square-metre site, includes various public walkways, pedestrian bridges and an elevated park.
Along the Darling Harbour foreshore, the approved redevelopment of the Waterfront Promenade will comprise a wide, planted walkway with several seating areas adjoining the podium’s retail tenancies. Also on the ground floor, the approved works include two through-site links and an arrival point located on Darling Drive.
On the first floor, a new 3,500-square-metre public Waterfront Garden with grassed areas and tree planting will be connected to ground floor via steps to the waterfront and to Pyrmont Bridge, and also linked with the existing elevated pedestrian bridge to the north of the site, which will be reinstated. A second, new, elevated walkway will pass over Darling Drive, connecting the site to Bunn Street to the west.
A presentation prepared by Mirvac for the commission noted that their vision for the site “is a living waterfront that connects the threads of time, place, Country, and neighbourhood to return to Tumbalong, where all are welcome.”
The developer described the design as a “layered and tactile terrain […] that harbours inspiration and a heightened sense of belonging.” Connecting with Country, designing for dignity and community engagement have been the guiding principles for the public domain.
The design team collaborated with cultural design and research consultant Danièle Hromek (Djinjama) and Indigenous planting specialist Clarence Slockee (Jiwah) to embed Wangal and Gadigal ways of thinking and narratives into the design.
The commission’s decision to approve the public domain works is conditional on account of various concerns voiced by members of the public, who lodged more than 50 objections during the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s assessment of the project. Sixteen written submissions were received by the commission during public consultation.
According to a statement published by the commission, “key issues raised by the community […] include the project’s consistency with the concept approval, reinstatement of the north bridge (pedestrian bridge) and potential associated impacts, view loss, operations noise, events and security and lighting.”
As a result, the commission’s conditions include an Events and Operational Management Plan for the Waterfront Garden, an updated landscape plan and a requirement to verify compliance with the project’s Wind Impact Assessment.
The project is set to open in the latter half of 2027.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
