Harbourside is a mixed-use development with an expected end value of more than A$2bn ($1.4bn), planned for the former Harbourside Shopping Centre site at Darling Harbour in Sydney. It comprises approximately 260 luxury apartments, premium-grade offices, curated retail and hospitality space, and approximately 11,200m2 of public open space.
NSW Government leased the site to property developer Mirvac, which is delivering the project through a 50:50 joint venture with Mitsubishi Estate. Located at Tumbalong on Gadigal and Wangal Country, Harbourside will introduce new pedestrian routes, gardens, and gathering spaces between Pyrmont and the waterfront.
Construction is well advanced, with the principal development approvals in place. More than A$800m in residential pre-sales has been secured, along with an office pre-commitment and a heads-of-agreement with a food-and-beverage operator. The first office façade panels have been installed on the southern podium.
Staged completion is expected between late 2026 and late 2027.
Mixed-use masterplan at Darling Harbour
The Harbourside masterplan combines apartments across 48 levels with 35,000m2 of premium-grade office and curated retail space. Restaurants, shops, and other hospitality uses are planned for parts of the lower levels and waterfront areas.
The approved building programme comprises a podium of up to five storeys, a residential tower, and four basement levels. It accounts for 84,517m2 of residential, office, and retail gross floor area, as well as 1,961m2 of communal open space for residents.
Public spaces and pedestrian routes will link Pyrmont with the water’s edge. A new bridge at Bunn Street, supported by ramps and a lift, will provide access between the neighbourhood, Harbourside, and the waterfront.
The site is served by Sydney’s light-rail network.
Harbourside architecture and sandstone references
Snøhetta and Hassell developed the architectural design following an international design excellence competition. The façades and public areas refer to the sandstone escarpment that previously characterised the site and the geology around Sydney Harbour.
Sandstone, water, native planting, terraces, and gardens appear throughout the buildings and public areas. Office façade panels installed on the southern podium use low-embodied-carbon aluminium certified through the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative.
The relationship with the heritage-listed Pyrmont Bridge affected the podium and landscape plans. Planning conditions require the elevated Waterfront Garden to remain on a single accessible level, with the paved deck no higher than RL 12.5. A separation of at least 15m from the north-eastern corner of the podium is intended to retain views of the bridge’s western landing and protect its heritage setting.
The building’s orientation and passive-design measures are intended to improve daylight and cross-ventilation, particularly within the apartments.
Harbourside residences and waterfront offices
Approximately 260 one, two, three, and four-bedroom apartments are planned, together with sub-penthouses and two-storey penthouses.
Residents’ facilities include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a spa, sauna, steam room, landscaped terrace, yoga and Pilates space, lounge, dining room, cinema, and double-storey golf simulator.
Bates Smart’s residential interior scheme uses two material and colour palettes based on the harbour foreshore and Sydney’s sandstone geology. Quartzite, marble, and timber feature throughout the apartments.
Etched mirrored cupboards refer to woven dilly bags traditionally used by Gadigal and Wangal women for fishing.
The commercial component includes premium-grade waterfront office accommodation. A tenant has pre-committed to part of the office space, while a heads-of-agreement has been reached with a food and beverage operator for a principal retail tenancy.
Waterfront promenade, garden, and planting
The approved public domain covers 11,186m2. Its principal areas include a 4,868m2 waterfront promenade and foreshore interface, the 3,500m2 elevated Waterfront Garden, the Waterfront Steps and Pyrmont Bridge Steps, ground-level North and South Walks, the Bunn Street Bridge, and the Darling Drive arrival area.
The Waterfront Garden beside Pyrmont Bridge will contain broad paths, planting, seating, and views across Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay. Harbourside includes A$50m in public-domain funding and A$7m for public art and activation.
More than 100,000 plants are planned across Harbourside, including over 250 mature trees selected in consultation with First Nations advisers. All plant species in the public open spaces will be native to Australia, with local and endemic species included in the planting plan.
Stormwater from paved and landscaped parts of the Waterfront Garden will pass through on-site storage and filtration tanks. It can then be reused within the development, reducing runoff into the surrounding marine environment.
The project includes 4,700m2 of green roofs, alongside landscaped terraces. These areas are intended to provide habitat, support biodiversity, and reduce the urban heat-island effect.
The design refers to the cultural history of Tumbalong, the name associated with this part of the harbour as a gathering place with plentiful seafood. First Nations research and advice have informed the architecture, interiors, planting, wayfinding, public art, and cultural interpretation. The plans also include areas for cultural education and provisions for Indigenous community access.
Sustainability targets and environmental research
Harbourside Residences will be fully electric and fitted with rooftop solar panels. The residential component is targeting a 5 Star Green Star Buildings rating, a minimum average 7 Star NatHERS rating, BASIX 40 for water, and BASIX 25 for energy.
The office component is targeting a 6 Star Green Star rating and Gold WELL certification. A 5 Star Green Star rating is planned for the retail component.
Mirvac, the University of Technology Sydney, and RACE for 2030 have begun a two-year study of the project’s environmental performance. It covers the green roofs, landscaping, and renewable energy systems in a dense precinct with high energy demand.
Research methods include thermal infrared imaging to measure heat-island effects, portable gas-exchange systems to assess carbon fixation by plants, environmental DNA sampling to monitor biodiversity, and energy modelling to assess the effect of greenery on building performance.
Electric-vehicle charging is planned within the basement.
Harbourside project team
Mirvac and Mitsubishi Estate are equal development partners and owners of the project’s residential, commercial, and retail components. Mirvac is also providing development management services and will continue to provide investment and asset management services after completion.
Mirvac Constructions, the developer’s in-house construction business, is delivering the building works
Snøhetta and Hassell formed the architectural design collaboration. Bates Smart developed the residential interiors.
Djinjama Indigenous, led by Dr Daniele Hromek, advised the design team on Connecting with Country, an approach that incorporates First Nations knowledge and relationships with land, water, culture, and community into the design process.
Indigenous planting specialist Clarence Slockee of Jiwah provided guidance on planting and Indigenous narratives. Bila Group and Curio Projects jointly developed the Cultural Heritage Interpretation Strategy.
The University of Technology Sydney and RACE for 2030 are working with Mirvac on the two-year environmental research programme. Associate Professor Fraser Torpy, director of the Plants and Environmental Quality Group at UTS, is leading the research with engineer Dr Peter Irga and project lead Dr Stephen Matheson.
Suppliers involved
Boral, an Australian vertically integrated construction materials company, is supplying more than 52,000m3 of concrete for Harbourside. Envisia concrete is being used for the basement structure below the water table, while Envirocrete low-carbon concrete is specified for the podium and tower.
De Martin & Gasparini, Boral’s specialist concrete-placing division, is undertaking concrete pumping and placement.
BKH Group, an Australian contractor specialising in formwork, concrete placement, and scaffolding, is working on the scaffolding package.
PERI Australia, a supplier of formwork and scaffolding systems and associated engineering services, is providing PERI UP and PERI UP Flex modular scaffolding to BKH Group for the project.
Envirosystems Technologies, an Australian manufacturer of protective coatings, sealants, and waterproofing products, supplied the waterproofing system for the podium and roof decks. Products used include Primer P2, HP1200 membrane, and Enviro 700X for plinths, edges, penetrations, and junctions.
