One Sydney Harbour

One Sydney Harbour, developed by Lendlease, was envisioned as an iconic residential project befitting one of the world’s most spectacular natural harbours. Designed by RPBW in collaboration with Guernier Architecture and PTW Architects, the project showcases world-class architecture, sustainability, and innovation in urban design. The development includes 848 apartments across three towers: Residences One (250m), Residences Two (235m), and Watermans Residences (107m) which features 50 Key Worker Housing apartments. Located on the western foreshore of Sydney’s CBD, the towers align with the fan-shaped grid of the Barangaroo Master Plan and mediate the threshold between Hickson Park and the Barangaroo South commercial district. The towers are characterised by triangular floor plates which were carefully designed to maximise solar access and sightlines while minimising overlooking between the towers and the surrounding buildings. The geometry of the towers and their arrangement enabled the creation of a through-site link connecting Hickson Park to the harbour foreshore at Watermans Cove. This public promenade, known as ‘The Strada’, diagonally traverses the site and is sheltered by a glass roofed galleria with integrated shading. A two-storey podium, characterised by a sculpted GRC (glass reinforced concrete) façade, defines a human-scaled street edge along The Strada, Watermans Quay and Barangaroo Avenue. The podium is set back on the northern side of the development, allowing the towers to rise freely from the park edge. Along this frontage, grand tower columns frame a series of loggia spaces which accommodate the three entrance lobbies and a new retail dining precinct. Along Hickson Road, a colonnade beneath Watermans Residences extends the covered footpaths of the Barangaroo South streetscape. RPBW’s vision was for the towers to embody lightness and transparency, harmonising with the shimmering harbour through reflective yet highly transparent glass façades. To this end, the design features a crystalline façade of low-iron glass, framed within a 1,200mm grid for a refined vertical aesthetic. Several innovative façade systems were developed for the project, including a triple-layered open cavity glass façade system (OCF), a wintergarden sash window mechanism and a bay window system set within the GRC corner ‘notches’ of the towers. Prototyped in Sydney, these façades act as climate-responsive systems, regulating light and airflow through a layered design that significantly minimises heat loads whilst retaining a transparent communion with the external environment. Designed to take full advantage of Sydney’s benign climate, the apartments feature elegant interiors by State of Craft and Darling Associates, which seamlessly connect to wintergardens, balconies, and outdoor terraces. Shared amenities for the exclusive use of residents include an indoor and outdoor pool and spa, steam room, sauna, residents lounge and private dining rooms, a billiards room, fully equipped gymnasium and wellness rooms. In addition, three outdoor terraces provide a peaceful oasis with expansive views. The project honours cultural heritage through communal art, including works by First Nations artist Judy Watson, whose textiles in the three entrance lobbies evoke the fisherwomen of Warrane/Sydney. Other contributions include sculptures by Mika Utzon Popov and prints from the Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre.