Project Overview
| Location | Blackwattle Bay, Sydney, Australia |
| Client / Owner | Infrastructure NSW / Placemaking NSW |
| Architects | 3XN GXN in association with BVN Architecture |
| Landscape Architect | ASPECT Studios |
| General Contractor | Multiplex |
| Gross Floor Area | 65,000m² |
| Retail/Public Space | 12,000m² retail, 6,000m² accessible public space |
| Sustainability Features | 5 Star Green Star target; 50% potable water reduction; 35% energy load reduction; rainwater harvesting; solar panels integrated into roof |
The New Sydney Fish Market, located on Blackwattle Bay in Sydney Harbour, is a landmark destination blending retail, office, cultural, and public spaces within a 65,000m² gross floor area. The market hall itself spans 12,000–12,200m², while the surrounding public realm provides 6,000m² of plazas and waterfront promenades. Construction began in 2021 and was completed in November 2025, with the official opening in January 2026. The project, delivered by Infrastructure NSW and owned by Placemaking NSW, cost A$836m ($591m) and is projected to attract six million visitors annually.
The building sits atop 481 marine piles, supported by a 200-metre-long roof canopy covering 20,000m², featuring 594 glulam timber beams and 407 aluminium cassettes. It provides 400 public car parking spaces and 136 bicycle parking spots (76 in the public domain, 60 in the basement), while accommodating basement levels 4 metres below sea level. Over 100 million litres of water were pumped out during construction to create a dry space for structural work. The project also incorporates five public art installations, integrates a new waterfront promenade into the scenic 15km foreshore walk from Rozelle Bay to Woolloomooloo, and supports sustainability goals such as a 50% reduction in potable water use.
Architectural vision and design concept
Designed by 3XN GXN Architects, in association with BVN Architecture and ASPECT Studios, the New Sydney Fish Market transforms an underutilised harbourfront site into a vibrant public destination while maintaining full commercial functionality as Australia’s largest seafood hub. The design merges the traditional fish market with the agora concept, blending commerce, culture, and community.
Visitors can experience the wholesale operations, auction halls, delivery docks, and seafood processing areas through strategic visual connections, while enjoying restaurants, cafés, specialty vendors, and public plazas.
Amphitheatre-style stairs guide visitors from the ground level to elevated public spaces overlooking Blackwattle Bay and Anzac Bridge, creating informal seating areas, dining terraces, and venues for social and civic events. This approach preserves the authenticity of a working market while activating the waterfront as a dynamic urban precinct.
Innovative roof canopy and environmental strategies
A signature element of the project is the 20,000m² undulating roof canopy, designed both as a sculptural feature and a climate-responsive structure. Spanning 200m and weighing 2,500t, it consists of 594 glulam timber beams and 407 aluminium cassettes. Its geometry optimises daylighting, provides shading, and allows natural ventilation, reducing the building’s energy loads by up to 35%.
The roof integrates rainwater harvesting, capturing water through two low points for reuse across the site, and supports solar panels that generate 5% of the market’s energy. Its modular design enables flexible spatial reconfiguration beneath the canopy, while passive airflows maintain comfortable microclimates throughout the retail, public, and operational areas.
Sustainability and resilience
Sustainability is embedded throughout the New Sydney Fish Market, with environmental performance integrated into both architecture and infrastructure. Water management systems filter approximately 2.6 billion litres annually, with pollutants reduced by 6,000kg per year before entering Sydney Harbour. The design also removes eight tonnes of marine debris and 1.5 million plastic items, while landscaping includes 87 trees and over 13,000 native plants to support biodiversity.
Energy-efficient strategies include passive ventilation, daylighting, absorption chillers, and the innovative use of leftover ice from operations for pre-cooling refrigerated areas. The project targets a 5 Star Green Star rating, demonstrating alignment with NSW Government’s 2050 net-zero commitment and serving as a model for sustainable waterfront infrastructure.
Visitor experience and public realm activation
The New Sydney Fish Market seamlessly integrates wholesale operations, public retail, and cultural programming. Elevated plazas and amphitheatre steps overlook the harbour, offering informal seating and gathering spaces, while public access to back-of-house operations provides educational experiences such as the SFM Cooking School.
The surrounding promenades connect Wentworth Park to the foreshore walk, activating the waterfront as an inclusive and accessible civic space.
Contractors and engineers involved
The project was executed by Multiplex as general contractor, with design led by 3XN GXN Architects in association with BVN Architecture and ASPECT Studios.
Engineering and technical consultants included:
- Civil and structural engineering: Mott MacDonald, AT&L, WSP, Aecom, CSS
- Mechanical and electrical: Aecom, Equilibrium/Climatec JV, Stowe Australia
- Hydraulic engineering: CJ Arms, Harris Page & Associates
- Transportation engineering: PTC (internal), Arup (site surrounds)
- Vertical transport: Aecom
- Sustainability, acoustics, ESD, wind, flood, heritage, and maritime consultants: Stantech, EMF Griffiths, SLR, Wood & Grieve, Cardno, CityPlan/Comber, Royal Haskoning DHV
- Urban masterplanning, planning, visualisations, and art: FJMT, BBC, Mir/Doug & Wolf/Aesthetica, WallnerWeiss
Key suppliers for the New Sydney Fish Market
Key suppliers involved in the new Sydney Fish Market included Rubner, which provided the roof glulam beams, while Sharvain Projects supplied the roof cassettes, curtain wall, exterior cladding, windows, and doors.
Engineering Fabricators Newcastle delivered the cruciform columns, and Concrete Structures supplied the precast concrete elements.
Special doors were provided by Max Door Solutions, Safetech, and Austral Monsoon, and Lockwood supplied all hardware. Interior finishes and cabinetry were handled by SAS International, Dormakaba, Euroline, Dulux, SOLIDAL, Laminex, Forbo, and Corian, with furnishings and seating provided by TCW, Zenith, Stylecraft, Normann Copenhagen, Maharam, and Eco Outdoor.
Thorn supplied all lighting, and plumbing systems were delivered by Caroma and Zip. Key energy systems included Spolar PV Panels and the Aquacell Greywater System.
Seafood processing equipment was supplied by SamTech (bulk bin conveyors), Fresh By Design (live seafood systems), Askin (coolrooms), and Viscon (crate wash).
