Walsh Bay Arts Precinct, the premier arts and culture hub home to nine of the nation’s foremost performing arts companies, has received awards in four categories at the 2022 NSW Architecture Awards, the state’s most celebrated architectural honours presented by the Australian Institute of Architects.
Selected by a jury led by former NSW government architect Peter Mould, the Precinct received the state’s top award, the NSW Architecture Medallion, for the transformation of Pier 2/3 and Wharf 4/5 undertaken by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects. The Precinct also received the awards for Public Architecture, Greenway Award for Heritage and a commendation for Interior Architecture.
Photograph: Supplied/Nic Walker
Walsh Bay Arts Precinct was unveiled earlier this year following the completion of major redevelopment works on the historically significant former cargo wharves. The Precinct also recently won in the Adaptive Reuse category at the National Trust Heritage Awards 2022.
With state-of-the-art new theatres and rehearsal spaces with views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and heritage-sensitive design that honours the site’s industrial past, the newly revamped Precinct is something special. Arts companies including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Australian Theatre for Young People now have their first permanent homes in Pier 2/3, alongside Bell Shakespeare and a 1,800 square metre event and commercial space which has been activated by the Biennale of Sydney over decades. Next door, Wharf 4/5 is the home of Bangarra Dance Theatre, Gondwana Choirs, Sydney Dance Company, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, Sydney Theatre Company and The Song Company.
Photograph: Supplied/Brett Boardman
Built between 1913 and 1920, Wharf 4/5 and Pier 2/3 are an integral part of Sydney’s history. As the northern most operational pier at Walsh Bay, Pier 2/3 was a key ‘open berth’ location for passenger cargo ships and following the Second World War, the wharf functioned as a migrant arrival point for new families starting their lives in New South Wales.