Henning Larsen wins competition to design Sydney tower project

Henning Larsen has won an international competition for the redevelopment of Cockle Bay Park, a major tower project in central Sydney, Australia. Henning Larsen’s scheme was chosen from six shortlisted designs.

The 73,000-m² (785,765-sf) project, which includes 63,000 m² (678,126 sf) of tower program atop a 10,000-m² (107639-sf) public plinth, rests at the heart of the city.

According to the Sydney Daily Telegraph, the project will provide one of the “biggest slices of public land in the heart of the city in more than a century.”

Cockle Bay Park links Sydney’s central business district (CBD) to the waterfront nearby, covering an area over a freeway that currently acts as a barrier between the city center, the waterfront, and the Pyrmont district, a thriving inner-city suburb. The ‘ground’ level comprises an expansive, state-of-the-art retail program that sits alongside and is woven into an expansive public park that stretches from the elevated main level to the waterfront below. Wide pedestrian paths frame a continuous public path through the development, and serve as the link between the shops, restaurants, and bars on site.

Cockle Bay Park focuses on the eye-level experience of the development’s two scales: the city scale, where the tower joins the skyline, and the village scale, where people move between the city center and the waterfront. Cockle Bay Park’s unbroken silhouette slips seamlessly among the towers of Sydney’s CBD, breaking down into more human-scaled pieces as it reaches the public and retail spaces at the ground level. This interplay of scales is respectful of both Sydney’s urban fabric and the diverse community of people it is designed for.

The tower, which is threaded together by public space, defines a new type of high-rise development that mixes traditional retail, office, and public program into a unified, human centered environment.

“We are constantly inspired by how buildings can facilitate the unexpected, fostering experiences that speak to the idea of a true urban destination,” says Haremst. “I believe our design for Cockle Bay Park will set a new standard for high-rise development, one where the interface between public and commercial realm link to create a strong sense of community.

Henning Larsen worked with partners McGregor Coxall (landscape) and Geoffreything (retail) in the concept design stage.