Lighthouse at Darling Park
Designed as a welcoming and accessible urban monument, Lighthouse at Darling Park is imagined as a combination of two scales: the city scale, where the tower joins the skyline, and the village scale, where people flow seamlessly between Sydney’s central business district (CBD) and the waterfront of Cockle Bay Wharf.
Client
GPT Group and Mirvac
Status
Designed to cover an area over a motorway that currently acts as a barrier between the city center, waterfront, and thriving Pyrmont district, the project envisions a generous and vibrant link between Sydney’s CBD to Darling Harbour. A monumental high-rise tower atop a 10,000 m² public realm spread across several levels and with spectacular views to the water at every turn – the project will provide what the Sydney Daily Telegraph has referred to as one of the "biggest slices of public land in the heart of the city in more than a century."
“We are excited by the opportunity to design a destination that is distinctly human-scaled while also offering world-class retail, office, and public space,” says Henning Larsen Partner Viggo Haremst. “Sydney is unique in how it entwines a friendly, local community atmosphere within a cosmopolitan city – we see Darling Park as an opportunity to reflect this and to emphasize the best of what Sydney can be.”
Woven into an expansive public park that will stretch from the elevated main level to the waterfront below, the design introduces a human centric focus. Wide pedestrian paths will frame a continuous public path through the development, and serve as the link between the shops, restaurants, and bars on site.
“Sydney is unique in how it entwines a friendly, local community atmosphere within a cosmopolitan city – we see Darling Park as an opportunity to reflect this and to emphasize the best of what Sydney can be.”
Viggo Haremst
Design Director, International Projects, Partner
Optimized and committed to the human-experience
Echoing the project’s commitment to the public realm, energy and climate modeling were essential elements informing our design, allowing us to optimize the microclimate in and around the development. Designed to be partly sheltered from the prevailing wind, it should experience just enough breeze from the water to make it an ideal spot in the summer – encouraging the public to enjoy it all year long.
“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 Lighthouse at Darling 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.”
An array of pocket parks creates zones within the public realm, each lushly planted to reference New South Wales’ native landscape. A central pedestrian path through the park acts as a high street, with smaller paths branching off to encourage exploration and discovery into less extroverted spaces. The project is intended to deliver a unique solution to the contrasting scales, prioritizing comfort and establishing public spaces that are open, welcoming, and enjoyable for a range of visitors.
01/05
Strong ties between outside and in
Our design for the Lighthouse Tower focused on creating a confident, clear, and poetic gesture in the urban setting; a striking addition to the Sydney skyline when seen from afar. Within the building, interiors will emphasize flexibility above all, allowing tenant organizations and individual workers to define their workplace for themselves. Floor-to-ceiling windows will offer views of the city, parks, and waterfront, again connecting the interior life of the building with the city outside it. The façade design is intended to maximize natural light while minimizing solar gains.
Contact
All contacts
Viggo Haremst
Design Director, International Projects, Partner
Thomas Hobbs
Associate Design Director, Australia
Downsview Framework Plan
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