Lend Lease have unveiled its revised concept plan for Barangaroo South.

The concept known as Modification (Mod 8) reveals the final design for James Packer’s $1.5 billion landmark Crown Sydney tower and surrounding public space along with the announcement of three residential towers to be designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect, Renzo Piano.

The revised plan also maintains original objectives to dedicated more than half of the 7.68 hectare site (over 52 per cent) to public space according to a statement.

Lend Lease’s Barangaroo South managing director Andrew Wilson said: “We have ensured that all of the public benefits that we originally proposed in our 2010 plan remain in Mod 8, such as complete harbour-front access and vibrant community spaces.”

Artist impression - Watermans Cove at BarangarooKey changes also include the relocation of Crown Sydney from a harbour pier position to land. Crown Sydney plans to be the city’s first six star international hotel, incorporate VIP gaming facilities, luxury apartments, hospitality, entertainment, retail amenities.

The tower designed by Wilkinson Eyre Architects will also stand 275 metres high making it the city’s second tallest building with Sydney Tower retaining the tall title at 305 metres.

Piano’s residential towers project known as One Sydney Harbour will be the second residential release at Barangaroo South following the 159 apartments acoss two waterfront buildings – Anadara and Alexander – which will be welcoming residents in the second half of 2015.

The towers have changed height in Mod 8 to maximise public space and compliment the surrounding built environment. Two towers will reach 250 metres and 210 metres respectively while the third tower will be 107 metres.

Aesthetically, Piano plans to reflect the surroundings calling the project opportunity “rare”. “Our vision is to design three buiildings with a gentle presence in the cityscape and in dialougue with the harbour waters and Barangaroo waterfont.

Artist's impression - The Cloud restaurant at Barangaroo South

This new set of building heights are also set to encourage a taller skyline for the city according to Urban Taskforce CEO, Chris Johnson who said: “The scale of Barangaroo South should be a catalyst for a new wave of taller buildings across the Sydney CBD as Sydney continues to grow as an economic centre in the Asia Pacific region. Over recent decades the height of Sydney’s towers has been constrained by planning rules but the dynamic forms of Barangaroo’s towers sets a challenge back to the rest of the city to continue to grow.”

Johnson also acknowledges that Sydney has a smaller footrpint than other Australian cities noting that a vertical built environment could change that.

“Clearly the ground level around tall buildings must respond to the scale of people and to solar access and wind issues. The lates concept plan proposal for Barangaroo South has addressed these issues very well.

Other changes in the Mod 8 plan summary include:

  • Reducing the number of proposed buildings at Barangroo South to 13
  • Relocating the urban park to accommodate the new location. It will also be north facing to maximise sunshine.
  • Revising the pier and southern cove to create a uniue harbour meeting place
  • Relocating the three approved residential tower further south to accommodate the new park and optimise its solar access
  • Change the heights of the three residential towers to allow for the maximisation of public space at the ground plane and ensuring it aesthetically works with surrounding buildings.
  • Increase the Gross Floor Area at Barangaroo South by nine per cent to 535,186 square metres to accommodate the additional hotel rooms and the hotel’s new uses (residential and gaming).

These new changes are summarised as 12 key precincts across Barangaroo Point, Central Barangaroo and Barangaroo South:

  1. Central Barangaroo: a mixed use urban and green space spanning 5.2 hectares with up to 120,000 metre square of built form
  2. A new CBD Park
  3. C1: a six storey building spanning 11,250 square metres of space and retail at ground level. No architect appointed
  4. C2: a six storey office building by Tazannes Architects with 7,910 square metres of space
  5. A new Square protected by canopy and activated by a kiosk
  6. R1: a three storey waterfront building designed by Collins and Turner as a signature waterfront restaurant
  7. R7: a four storey retail and commercial building designed by Durbach Block Jaggers
  8. Barangroo Point Reserve: a 6 hectare park
  9. Crown Sydney: a 275 metre tower housing a six star hotel and high rolling and entertainment/urban facilities
  10. Harbour Cove & Foreshore Walk
  11. Residential: Renzo Piano’s three residential towers and low rise Anadara and Alexander will line the waterfront. They were designed by fjmt and PTW respectively, and include waterfront dining and retail at ground level.
  12. International Towers Sydney: Three high rise office towers designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour aim to be the country’s most sustainable high rise office buildings.

Naturally, Mod 8 has been submitted to the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment and is subject to approval. IT will be placed on Public Exhibition in the near future.