Ferry travellers can now alight on the doorstep of the Barangaroo parklands, shopping and eating precinct, commercial office towers and apartments, with the opening of a contemporary wharf.
Cox Architecture says the passenger interface was the primary focus for the design team, who crafted the Ferry Hub to provide “a seamless and sculptural environment with weather protection, superb views of Sydney harbour and efficient, functional passenger flows in a safe and secure context.”
The aesthetic aims to reflect “the maritime qualities of Sydney and its iconic harbour,” says the architect.
Sketches by Cox Architecture detailing “a blend of maritime forms of water craft, the landscape of Sydney Harbour and a focus on passenger comfort, amenity and simplicity of use.”
Two new wharves feature two 48m long by 23m wide pontoons that accommodate up to four ferries each, anticipating the thousands of visitors expected to converge on the site each day.
Cox says there is capacity to build a third wharf in future.
Rows of Mall DDA Seats and Mall Benches, with hardwood jarrah battens and aluminium frames, provide comfortable places for travellers to wait for the next service under the sculptural canopy.
Some of the DDA Seats feature three armrests, providing support for older people to sit and stand. They also divide the space, allowing more people to sit on the one seat while feeling that they have their own space.
Mall Benches positioned in front of glass barriers frame the view of the harbour.
The overall design features “a limited palette of robust materials,” says Cox, “that provide a public domain interface and a proven attitude towards maintainability.”
Street Furniture Australia’s Mall range complements this goal, with its long life and ease of maintenance. The furniture installation was carried out by Gartner Rose.
The architect also worked with project partners Transport for New South Wales, Aurecon, and McConnell Dowell to design and build the site.
Mall DDA seats provide an anchor for passengers to await their ride in comfort.
Timelapse of the Barangaroo Ferry Hub Construction by Cox Architecture.
Specifier: Cox Architecture
Custodian: Transport for New South Wales
Contractor: Gartner Rose
The NSW Government is undertaking the Sydney Commuter Wharf Upgrade Program, the first stage of which involves upgrades to 12 wharves over the next 4 years. The first upgrade was the Milsons Point Wharf, completed in December 2010. The NSW Government uses private sector contractors to deliver its commuter wharf maintenance and upgrade programs.
The Mall DDA Seat, Concourse 4-seater and Aero Leaning Rail have been chosen to furnish numerous train stations across NSW. As part of a $33 million upgrade announced by then NSW Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian in July 2014, new lighting, landscaping, paintwork and public furniture will be installed to improve Sydney’s stations. The latest in 3D printing technology was used to create full-scale prototypes for visualisation. A key challenge for Street Furniture Australia was to modify the seats to allow for signage, as well as produce a high quantity of seats in a short timeframe. SFA approached the assembly process with lean manufacturing methods, to minimise waste at our Regents Park factory. The new Sydney Trains seats offer increased comfort and ergonomic armrests to make it easier for those who are less mobile to get …
Street Furniture Australia has supplied Mall seats and benches to Sydney’s ferry terminals at Circular Quay, as part of the NSW government’s $3 million upgrade to Circular Quay Wharf, led by Group GSA. Circular Quay is one of Sydney’s key transport interchanges, with around 170,000 customers passing through every week. Minister for Transport Gladys Berejiklian said that the upgrade is vital in ensuring Circular Quay remain a world-class facility: “While everyday transport customers are our priority, the significance of Circular Quay for Sydney’s tourism can’t be underestimated.” Sydney architecture firm Group GSA has led the new design upgrades to Circular Quay wharves 2, 3, 4 and 5. Wayne Krygsman, Associate Director of Group GSA, says, “The main objective of the refresh project by Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) was …
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