The Cutaway

A series of meaningful, nature-inspired forms gently transform the rigid, Euclidean concrete geometry of the existing structure and confer an honourific presence on the sandstone cut of the former headland.

The exposed sandstone face, dramatically lit from above, has a striking appearance, but also reveals a complex legacy. The original Barangaroo headland was progressively cut away and excavated for industrial use from the mid-19th century until the 1960s. This cutting away and scar on Country is revealed and acknowledged, but the architecture also seeks to heal this wound through the abstraction of restorative, original landscape elements: the Damun and Giba-gunya.

The sequence of tree-like elements are inspired by the Damun, the Port Jackson Fig; the knowledge tree, and stands in front of the sandstone cut to cast soft shadows across the rockface. The parallel timber ribs and branches also celebrate the fish skeleton’s saltwater ceremonial markings. These carefully profiled timber canopies also accommodate technical infrastructure such as rigging and lighting, and integrate essential acoustic absorption to control reverberation times.

Complementing the sandstone and tree-like timber forms are a series of shell-like profiles that create a spatial embrace, evoking the curved forms of a Giba-gunya (rock shelter) and drawing directly on natural Saltwater Country forms.

The architecture seeks to recall a landscape lost, the shelter of sandstone caves and the significant presence of trees of knowledge in a deep connection to Country. The Cutaway becomes a meaningful and inclusive cultural venue.

The project also transforms a large, echo-prone space into a high-performance, flexible events venue, open to natural daylight and integrated with the natural sandstone of the cutting.