The Sydney waterfront is iconic. From the elegant Sydney Opera House to the Sydney Harbour Bridge where the world welcomes every new year, Darling Harbour now has a new icon: Crown Sydney.
As befits a new building in such a storied area, Crown Sydney is an architectural gem. Inspired by nature, Crown Sydney seemingly curves 60 degrees as it rises more than 275 meters above the harbor. Its “petals” twist and turn, providing visitors and residents maximum views of the surrounding landscape.
Conceived by James Packer and Crown Resorts in 2012, the arduous approval process included a concession that limited the gambling to a VIP casino aimed at Asian high rollers. The rest of the facility includes 350 hotel rooms, residences, shops and other uses. The top two floors encompass hotel suites, while hotel rooms and residences fill out the rest of the tower. Fourteen restaurants, shops and the casinos are located in the equally impressive podium.
According to the lead architect, London-based WilkinsonEyre, which won an international competition to design the building, the project was conceptual from the start.
“Central to the design of the hotel is the idea that it should be a sculptural, curvilinear form, an inhabited artwork, which contrasts with the more orthogonal geometry of the tall buildings in the central business district.”
The Barangaroo project has a vertical core structure with a glass and metal skin that was designed using parametric 3D modelling and helical perimeter columns in concrete. The result is a stunning structure that stands out even among numerous other high-rises in Sydney.
With the small VIP casino, Crown Sydney was going to depend upon junket operators to fill the space with the whales who would make it a success. But troublesome regulatory concerns about money laundering and ineffective leadership caused Crown to back off that plan. The debut of the casino, set for December 2020, may be delayed as the company scrambles to rework their business plan.
But the building remains a sculpture in the heart of the Barangaroo district. At the topping off, Crown Chairwoman Helen Coonan said it will be a new positive outlook for Sydney.
“This building was designed to be a tribute to Sydney and a landmark recognized around the world,” she said.
OWNER: Crown Resorts
ARCHITECT: WilkinsonEyre Architects, Bates Smart, Robert Bird Group
INVESTMENT: A$2.2 billion (US$1.55 billion)
