Fish Market: reinventing an iconic cultural landmark

Sydney Fish Market is the cornerstone of Australia’s seafood supply chain and a popular tourist destination, with 2M visitors yearly. But it needed rebuilding, so the New South Wales government decided to build something better and bolder as the centrepiece of a multimillion-dollar revitalisation of Blackwattle Bay. We helped conceptualise the new building, providing structural, civil and marine engineering for the three-year tender design phase, and continue now as technical advisor. A first step was to immerse ourselves in the market through early morning visits. Project director Graham Babcock says he was “initially taken aback by the organised chaos”, but this intense engagement allowed detailed analysis and modelling of market operations, which strongly informed our designs. We prioritised environmental considerations, including working with the University of New South Wales to incorporate 3D printed coral elements on the building’s underside to enhance aquatic life in the bay. We also recommended using offsite construction for the roof and basement, something that was adopted to speed the build and minimise disruption. The roof design not only features solar panels to supply much of the market’s energy needs but collects rainwater too. When built, this will be the heaviest timber roof in the southern hemisphere and capture 1000 tonnes of carbon. “We were instrumental in driving the adoption of timber as the primary roof material, visiting Europe’s largest timber suppliers to also source the wood from sustainable forests,” says Graham.