Sydney Fish Market
The new Sydney Fish Market marks a transformative chapter in the evolution of Blackwattle Bay, redefining both the edge of Sydney Harbour and the civic life of the city. Positioned between Glebe and Pyrmont, the project reshapes the waterfront as a porous, accessible and deeply public landscape: one that reconnects Sydney to its working harbour while unlocking a new scale of public engagement.
- TRADITIONAL OWNERS & ONGOING CUSTODIANS OF THE LAND Gadigal of the Eora Nation
- CLIENT Infrastructure NSW
- LOCATION Glebe, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Year 2017 - 2025
A sweeping waterfront promenade forms the project’s organising gesture. Extending the Glebe foreshore walk and linking through to Pyrmont, it delivers more than 6,000 square metres of new public open space and completes a critical segment of Sydney’s continuous 15-kilometre harbour walk from Woolloomooloo to Rozelle Bay. The building does not sit apart from this public domain; it is embedded within it. The market’s ground plane is conceived as a layered civic landscape, where wharf, promenade, amphitheater and market hall interlock to create a seamless and animated edge condition.
At the waterline, fishing vessels berth and unload directly into the market precinct. Rather than concealing this industrial choreography, the design foregrounds it. Visitors can observe crews unloading their catch, experiencing the rhythms of trade and tide at close range. Amphitheatre-style steps rise above the wharf, creating informal seating and vantage points that frame the working harbour as a stage. Above this active ground plane, the market hall accommodates 12,200 square metres of fishmongers, restaurants, cafés and specialty vendors. The spatial planning carefully separates operational and public circulation.
Above this active ground plane, the market hall accommodates 12,200 square metres of fishmongers, restaurants, cafés and specialty vendors. The spatial planning carefully separates operational and public circulation, enabling wholesale logistics, auction processes and visitor flows to coexist safely and efficiently.
Sustainability extends across both land and water systems. Rainwater capture and reuse strategies reduce potable water demand by approximately 45 percent. Seabins and living seawalls contribute to improved marine health within the bay, enhancing habitat complexity and supporting aquatic biodiversity. Recycled timber furniture, low-carbon concrete and carefully selected material palettes minimise embodied carbon and reinforce the project’s environmental agenda.
Sustainability extends across both land and water systems. Rainwater capture and reuse strategies reduce potable water demand by approximately 45 percent. Seabins and living seawalls contribute to improved marine health within the bay, enhancing habitat complexity and supporting aquatic biodiversity. Recycled timber furniture, low-carbon concrete and carefully selected material palettes minimise embodied carbon and reinforce the project’s environmental agenda.
The public landscape strengthens ecological performance while shaping a generous civic setting. Eighty-seven new trees and more than 13,000 plantings, predominantly salt-tolerant Sydney Coastal native species, establish a resilient foreshore ecology. Subtle references to maritime culture are embedded within the landscape language, complemented by flashes of safety orange that acknowledge the site’s industrial lineage.
The result is a project that operates simultaneously as infrastructure, marketplace and public realm. By prioritising waterfront access and embedding industry within the civic landscape, the new Sydney Fish Market demonstrates that working harbour functions and public amenities are not mutually exclusive. Instead, their integration generates authenticity, vitality and economic resilience.
Now open, the development signals a decisive shift in the future of Sydney’s harbour foreshore. It establishes Blackwattle Bay as a vibrant, inclusive and connected destination.
Now open, the development signals a decisive shift in the future of Sydney’s harbour foreshore. It establishes Blackwattle Bay as a vibrant, inclusive and connected destination.
- TEAM 3XN GXN, in association with BVN Architecture and ASPECT Studios, Multiplex, Mott MacDonald, AT&L, WSP
- PHOTOGRAPHY Rasmus Hjortshøj, Tom Roe, Jo Tokunaga (ASPECT Studios)
