One Sydney Harbour | RPBW - Renzo Piano Building Workshop

One Sydney Harbour is a cluster of three residential towers by Renzo Piano Building Workshop, sited at Barangaroo on the western edge of the Sydney central business district. Oriented towards the harbour and its landmarks, the towers form a considered addition to the city skyline, distinguished by nine kinetic facades that shift in appearance with the movement of the sun and the reflection of the water below.

The project occupies one of the most precisely observed sites in Australian architecture. Barangaroo Reserve lies immediately to the north; the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Heads are visible from the upper floors. The design brief called for buildings with a gentle presence in the cityscape and a vibrant public realm at ground level, in dialogue with the water’s edge.

Looking at the buildings, the six kinetic facades face north, west and east, playing with light from every angle. They are orientated to avoid directly overlooking adjacent towers, maximising privacy while prioritising views. The brightness of the sky is captured all the way to the penthouse levels, where the apartments and roof gardens meet the open air.

The facade incorporates an Open Cavity Facade (OCF) system, which allows for controlled natural ventilation and external solar shading via a fabric blind within the cavity. A direct development of the system used by RPBW for the Shard in London, it is a significant innovation in the design of residential buildings in Australia.

One Sydney Harbour was designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop architects in collaboration with Lendlease (Australia), the developer and construction lead, and PTW

RPBW’s team was led by Partner Emanuela Baglietto and Associate Francesco Giacobello with Architect Michel Chasseur

RPBW Design team: E.Baglietto, F.Giacobello (partner and associate in charge) M.Chasseur with M.Carroll (partner), M.Cecchetto, M.Cipriani, V.Colavita, E. Donadel, R.Dunphy, J.Hallock, S.Ishida (partner), M.Menardo, V.Occhini, A.Peschiera, V.Sibona, M.Tokarnia, D.Vespier, R.Wong, Z.Wu and A.Benard, S.Lesiuk, J.Penk; B.Pignatti, A.Pizzolato (CGI); G.Semprini (BIM); F.Cappellini, I.Corsaro, D.Lange, F.Terranova (models)

Consultants: A.Guernier Architecture (local RPBW representative architect); State of Craft (interior design), Darling Associates Architects (interior design), Arup (façade); Grant Associates (landscaping); Robert Bird Group (structure); Aurecon (M&E); WSP (plumbing & fire engineering); Windtech and RWDI (wind analysis); Renzo Tonin (acoustics)