First look at the Barangaroo landmark 450,000 oyster shells built

This is the landmark 450,000 discarded Sydney rock oyster shells built.

Perched on the harbour’s edge at Barangaroo, the newly completed Pier Pavilion will open on Wednesday – five years after the former Coalition state government revealed the winning design.

The $18 million triangular structure, which was funded through developer contributions, features columns, a roof and walls made partly from recycled oyster shells, and a green landscaped roof.

NSW Lands and Property Minister Steve Kamper said the spot next to Waterman’s Cove would be a place for the public to meet, gather and enjoy views of the harbour, as the state government pressed ahead with work on the marathon project to transform the foreshore west of Sydney’s city centre.

“The Pier Pavilion is a remarkable addition to Barangaroo, and it showcases our commitment to creating vibrant, accessible public spaces where the community can come together,” Kamper said.

“We’re starting to see the full vision of Barangaroo come to light.”

In 2020, the then-Berejiklian government announced that Brisbane architect Jessica Spresser had won the design competition for the building. It said at the time the project was likely to be completed in 2022.

Completed with architect Peter Besley and Arup, Spresser’s design had been one of five shortlisted from 172 entries for the competition. It celebrated the connection between land, sky and sea.

The Minns government awarded the contract to build the structure to Stephen Edwards Constructions 13 months ago.

Reaching seven metres, the pavilion features 85 structural steel columns and a large oculus in the roof, which was designed to allow natural light to flood the structure.

Construction on the project has taken about a year. The former Coalition government announced the project in 2020.Credit: Infrastructure NSW

The custom surface has been formed by mixing the recycled oyster shells with Australian marble chip, sand and cement to form a terrazzo cladding.

The material was designed to reflect the waterfront’s maritime and cultural history as a source of cockles and oysters for the Gadigal people.

Nearly 2500 drought-tolerant native plants have been used to cover the 407-square-metre landscaped roof, which incorporates sandstone boulders and logs to provide wildlife habitats.

The landscaped roof features 2500 plants and an irrigation system. Credit: Connor O’Shea

Infrastructure NSW’s head of projects Bruno Zinghini touted the pavilion as a “celebration of collaboration, innovation, and sustainability”; Stephen Edwards Constructions’ managing director Mathew Edwards said the project would “remain a cherished community asset for years to come”.

Construction on the controversial final section of Barangaroo is expected to start this year after plans for the $2 billion-plus project were approved following more than two decades in limbo.

The Central Barangaroo mixed-use precinct will feature 150 apartments, a hotel, shops, offices and eateries in buildings up to 10 storeys above the metro station. Half the site will be a foreshore park.

The structure was designed to celebrate the connection between land, sky and sea.Credit: Infrastructure NSW

Supporters said the approved proposal was a win for Sydney; critics said it would strip the foreshore of valuable public open space.

The first stage of Central Barangaroo is not due for completion until 2030.

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