Designed by Woods Bagot, In the heart of Sydney sits Wynyard Walk: a fully accessible pedestrian link designed around the concept of ‘flow’. The design challenges the perception of a transport interchange, shifting the emphasis from the efficiency of travel to the quality of experience, with the forms optimized to capture the largest volume of space and ease pedestrian movements through its curved profiles, rounded corners, and sinuous forms.
Providing a highly functional and practical connection, the design is focused on the quality of the customer journey – allowing pedestrians to travel from Wynyard Station to the Barangaroo waterfront in approximately six minutes by avoiding steep inclines and road crossings.
photography by © Trevor Mein
Linking Wynyard Station to the western corridor of Sydney’s CBD, Wynyard Walk consists of a series of above and below ground urban interventions including a nine-meter wide pedestrian tunnel, bridge, plaza and a new civic building connecting the existing Wynyard Station.
The design concept of flow draws on the natural geology of the Sydney Basin, with its landscape of deep cliffs, gorges, beaches, and estuaries carved by erosion. A metaphor for the fluid flow of pedestrians, the design references the movement of water as, like water, people follow the path of least resistance. The linearity of movement is reinforced through materials and detailing to enhance wayfinding and create a unified experience.
photography by © Trevor Mein
Earthen materials including concrete and stone ground the project, while lighter elements such as glass and metal provide diaphanous canopies filtering natural and artificial light. The form of Wynyard Walk harnesses human desire to create the most efficient route, imbuing the project with a unique character and identity.
The western portal and glass canopy acts as the most visible landmarks of the project, increasing the traffic capacity of the station to meet current and future demands. The shape of the canopy was parametrically modeled and tested in wind models to ensure weather protection while allowing fresh air and natural light into the tunnel.
photography by © Trevor Mein
The innovative form has geometric rationality, sculpted and cut from a cylindrical section and elliptical plan. Principles of sustainability drove the design solution, with consideration for maintenance over the project’s 100- year lifespan.
A lifecycle costing analysis of the tunnel lighting reduced the carbon footprint, with natural daylight supplemented by the use of LEED strip lighting throughout the project. Materials were selected for environmental performance.
photography by © Trevor Mein
Designed as a piece of socially sustainable infrastructure, Wynyard Walk enhances the experience of (projected) 20,000 commuters per hour via a timeless architectural form complemented with integrated digital art. Residing within the Clarence Street entrance of Wynyard Station, the 23-meter wide Wynscreen – named as a play on the word ‘windscreen’ due to its unusual curved shape – combines art, culture, and technology to create a series of visual experiences.
Connecting one of Sydney’s busiest transport interchanges to Barangaroo through architectural expression, Wynyard Walk has created a unified identity and civic presence, delivering a socially sustainable piece of infrastructure to Sydney’s CBD.
photography by © Trevor Mein
Project Info:
Design: Woods Bagot
Location: Sydney NSW, Australia
Design Team: Domenic Alvaro, John Prentice, Zig Pashos, Rob Wright, Martin Fox, Dennis Hwang, Alex Herran, Milan Bogova, Marissa Looby
Area: 1600.0 m2
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Trevor Mein
Manufacturers: Gosford Quarries
Project Name: Wynyard Walk
