The commuter ferry wharf upgrades of Sydney Harbour

This case study demonstrates design principle nine from the Beyond the Pavement urban design guide: Achieving integrated and minimal maintenance design.

The commuter ferry wharf upgrades of Sydney Harbour

This program, centred on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River, makes an important contribution to connecting modes and communities along the waterway corridors. At the same time, it contributes to the design structure of the metropolitan area, its image and liveability. The wharfs form community nodal points served by pedestrian, cycle and bus networks and accommodating commuter parking and taxi drop-offs and so function as multi-modal interchanges. Over and above being points of arrival and departure for commuters and tourists the wharfs form precincts with a public domain made up of public open space, waterfront and community facilities, vegetation and historic elements and their views. The neighbourhoods surrounding wharfs are desirable living environments and tend to have high land values. Their populations are to a large degree dependent on wharf access and commuter network services which offer alternatives to unnecessary car travel. There are 47 wharfs being replaced and modernised. The new wharfs,  developed from a prototype constructed at Milsons Point, are architecturally designed and purpose built, representing a new image and  approach to wharf infrastructure in Sydney.

The new expanded wharf at Milsons Point adjacent to Luna Park and the Sydney Harbour Bridge (1) delivers a major component of the Commuter Wharf Upgrade Program in Sydney. In order to support an increase in services, six years after the last revamp, this wharf is a duplication project that re-orients the alignment of the previously modernised wharf which was perpendicular to the quay, to now parallel it. By extending its length the new expanded wharf provides dual berthing taking double the amount of ferries. The entire wharf precinct is designed three-dimensionally with a distinctive modern architecture of lightweight appearance. It is formed beautifully in its waterside and landside settings and offers many viewpoints. Besides being a landmark area in its own right the site falls within the buffer zone of the World Heritage listed Sydney Opera House (2).

Materials are transparent with paint colour responding to the surrounding palette, having neutral tones and being low in reflectivity.  There is a new covered aluminium gangway connected to and supported by the fixed structure and a new hydraulic platform; the gradient of the gangway varies according to the tides. The design has zinc roofs, glazed screens and stainless steel handrails. In order to open views there is an expanded waiting area together with new signage, wayfinding, lighting and customer information and opal ticketing. In order to minimise erosion and achieve durability, pilings are steel finished. The design of landside elements fit well with the existing steps, heritage sandstone sea walls, and decorated balustrade defining the promenade edge and with materials within the public domain. The promenade itself is simply laid out; a line of palm trees forms a colonnaded edge to the upper promenade, which is further defined by the robust set of stone clad steps running the length of the walkway to the bus stop at the eastern end making the wharf upgrade part of a larger public transport interchange.

Importantly, Milsons Point is part of a suite of wharf designs for the harbour and river giving them a common transport infrastructure identity. The architectural kit of parts rolled out for each wharf design however is differently applied to each context and with natural and built heritage elements incorporated into the design, making the individual wharfs precinct-specific within the whole. This approach has been applied at McMahons Point (3) and Neutral Bay (4) and all the others wharfs.

The McMahons Point wharf was located carefully to avoid visual impacts and visual intrusion in the Sydney Opera House World Heritage Buffer Zone while allowing ease of access for ferry captains. Through community request the wharf building was located on the land with the pontoon area left open to the elements.

Milsons Point wharf was the first of the new wharfs and set the theme for the program on Sydney Harbour. Almost 10 years after it was upgraded the popularity of the ferry network necessitated a duplication of the capabilities which has been completed with minimal impact.