Sydney Ferry Wharves Upgrade Project

Conrad Gargett was commissioned as the architectural design consultant for Sydney Harbour’s Ferry Wharves Upgrade Program, to design 28 ferry wharves and interchange precinct upgrade project works as part of the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program (TAP). Under the Tranche 2 scope of works, CG delivered 9 wharves along the Harbour and Parramatta River foreshores including; McMahons Point, Milsons Point, Chiswick, Cockatoo Island, Meadowbank, Abbotsford, Birchgrove and Cabarita, Woolwich and Kissing Point Wharves. Collectively, the consultant team of maritime and building services engineers, architects and planners worked with the Project Stakeholders to deliver designs which address Sydney’s needs for the future, generating an anticipated minimum 50-year service life for the wharves. The project’s goals were to improve accessibility, transport services connectivity, safety and amenity for all ferry customers and staff.

A “kit of parts” approach prepared by GSA is adopted for the design of the main waterside building components. This facilitates prefabrication and modular elements to suit each wharf site, within a unified and distinctive design theme. The wharf pontoons are 3 standard sizes, with the wharf buildings consisting of a canopy shelter, service pod or kiosk and glazed screens, linked to the new shore bridges or existing jetties by an 18-metre long roofed gangway.

The landside works are also a critical part of the design. A fresh portal entry canopy design provides a new wharf “address” and assists way-finding for each wharf, creating an important information node and interface to facilitate the intermodal transport connection to public buses, pedestrian paths, kiss ‘n’ ride drop offs and cycle ways.