BARANGAROO PIER

In our proposal for the Barangaroo Pier Pavilion Competition, we highlighted our interest in High-Performance Lightweight Concrete (HPLC) coupled with polymer sheeting and steel cable reinforcement. This advanced technology allows for the creation of robust, sculptural forms with minimal material and a thin profile.

While this technique has been extensively prototyped and used in a few structures worldwide, it has not been used in Australia in this way. Our design features an undulating HPLC canopy supported on columns, with a wave form that raises up to the north to allow winter sun to penetrate deep into the space below. Tiered seating forms a wind buffer to the south and provides event storage underneath. Planter boxes conceal stormwater pits to drain the roof. At night, the underside of the canopy serves as a canvas for animated projections.

Our vision is for a gentle gathering space under this billowy concrete canopy, with soft curves and an understated form that belies the significant research, thought, and effort that went into its construction. This addition to the Barangaroo precinct adds to the rich tradition of technological development within Sydney’s architectural and construction history, and we present it for your consideration.