Bates Smart ™

Pier 8/9
Walsh Bay, Sydney

Walsh Bay is a heritage precinct adjacent to The Rocks in Sydney Harbour. Previously a commercial shipping port, the area has been redeveloped into a mixed use precinct with residential, retail, commercial and cultural activities. Pier 8/9 is the largest commercial development in the precinct and has been adapted to A grade office space for occupation by Murdoch Magazines and other companies.

The architectural approach is one of heritage sensitive adaptive reuse in accordance with the Burra Charter. The maximum amount of heritage fabric has been retained. New architectural interventions are clearly expressed as modern additions, detached from the original fabric. The new additions include two new steel framed mezzanine floors and the enclosure of the ‘breezeway’ with structural glazed walls to create a foyer. The additions respond to the scale form andtectonics of the original building without mimicking historic details. Bates Smart was also responsible for Murdoch Magazine’s 6,000sqm office fitout.