Move over Crown: First look at plans for Sydney’s tallest-ever buildings

Clover Moore’s council is poised to clear the way for Sydney’s tallest-ever buildings, with property giants Lendlease and Dexus each lodging plans for adjacent skyscrapers that would transform the CBD skyline.

At 309 and 305 metres, respectively, both towers would dwarf Barangaroo’s Crown Sydney as the city’s tallest buildings and essentially match the tip of the spire of Sydney Tower Eye, formerly Centrepoint, Sydney’s tallest structure.

The move was welcomed by architect Philip Vivian, who said Sydney was moving away from being a “flat-top city” where nothing was taller than the 1970s-era Centrepoint, which for decades set the CBD height limit.

“If you look at Sydney from the east or west, you will notice Sydney’s got a flat top. Everyone’s built up to the height limit. And Centrepoint is a little pinprick that pops out,” said Vivian, a director of Bates Smart and chair of Australia’s chapter of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

The Lendlease proposal, dubbed the O’Connell Precinct, and Dexus’ venture, called Pitt & Bridge, are next to each other at the northern end of the CBD, at the doorstep of the forthcoming Hunter Street metro station and close to Circular Quay.

Both proposals require the City of Sydney council to increase the permitted height limit from 235 metres, and council staff have recommended approval. The plans will be discussed at a committee meeting next week before proceeding to a full council meeting and then to the state government.

Under current controls, the maximum height of development in the CBD is site-dependent. Given controls and airport regulations, no building in the CBD would be permitted above 310 metres (height above pavement).

A mock-up of the proposed Dexus tower. It is a concept drawing, not an artist’s impression of the actual design.

Vivian said Sydney was a relatively small city – tiny compared to Manhattan – and needed to think about how to increase its density and telegraph itself as a global city and part of Asia.

“Height is clearly part of that,” he said. While there were few towers in Australia taller than 200 metres, there had been a boom in Asia of high-rises above 300 metres, as well as 400, 500 and even 600 metres.

A mock-up of the Lendlease concept at O’Connell Street in the CBD. It is not an impression of the actual design.

The plans come at a time of significant change for the northern end of Sydney’s CBD, with the 58-storey luxury residential tower One Circular Quay and the Waldorf Astoria hotel, also a Lendlease project, under construction closer to the waterfront, and Salesforce Tower and the Quay Quarter precinct now open.

In his reports, the city’s director of planning, Graham Jahn, said the proposed buildings were well located in a designated tower cluster area, would provide future workplaces that meet market expectations and are “essential for a globally competitive city”, and would capitalise on the metro.

Dexus and Lendlease noted the projects were in their early stages and years away. The plans before the council would change the sites’ height limits, but development applications would be required for each building. Both developers would also need to secure finance and tenants.

Nonetheless, Vivian said the proposals show confidence in Sydney’s CBD. Significant planning work has already been done on both projects, including heritage studies, overshadowing analysis, and transport and traffic reports. Lendlease first engaged the council about its project in mid-2021.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the proposals aligned with the council’s CBD blueprint, developed over several years, which allows the city to grow with new skyscrapers while ensuring sunlight “continues to shine on treasured public space”.

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