The New Sydney Fish Market at Blackwattle Bay has won the Best Cultural, Sports & Education Project and the Special Jury Award at MIPIM 2026. The award was announced on Day 4 of the event being held in Cannes.
Developed by Infrastructure New South Wales and designed by 3XN GXN (design architect) in partnership with BVN Architecture (partner architect), with ASPECT Studios as landscape architect, the project transforms Sydney Harbour’s Blackwattle Bay into a vibrant waterfront destination that integrates commerce, culture, and public space.
Conceived as an agora, the Fish Market goes beyond a traditional seafood hub. It combines amphitheatre-style stairs, elevated terraces, dining areas, and waterfront promenades, linking to Sydney’s 15km foreshore walk. Five public art installations and cultural programming, including cooking schools and live demonstrations, reinforce its role as a public, cultural, and educational space, supporting its recognition as the Best Cultural, Sports & Education Project.
The project also received the Special Jury Award at MIPIM 2026. The development includes a 200‑metre undulating roof canopy, sustainability measures, and extensive landscaping. Climate-responsive design, including passive ventilation, daylighting, solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and pre-cooling with leftover ice, contributes to a 5‑Star Green Star target.
Extensive landscaping, including 87 trees and more than 13,000 native plants, along with marine debris removal, was incorporated as part of the project’s environmental measures. Complex engineering accommodates marine piles, a below-sea-level basement, and heavy public and retail use.
Spanning 65,000m² (approximately 700,000ft2), with 12,000m² of retail space and 6,000m² of public realm, the New Sydney Fish Market is anticipated to attract six million visitors annually. The MIPIM 2026 awards reflect the project’s excellence in design, sustainability, and cultural impact, marking it as a leading example of contemporary waterfront architecture.
