Occupy: Barangaroo

The current Lend Lease development and social cleansing of Miller’s Point public housing embodies everything that is corrupt about the governing of Sydney – private economic and short-term political gains far outweigh the public’s interests. In contrast, Occupy: Barangaroo explores public space as a non-exclusive, connective and active element within the city. The distinction between public and private space is purposely blurred to encourage diverse social and cultural interactions.

Barangaroo has the opportunity to be one of Sydney’s great public rooms. A vast, unbroken concrete platform, the physical form of Barangaroo along with its critical location as the last piece of Sydney’s centre, reflect this. That is - an open gathering space, for a range of events and interactions, without the need for private development

The project began as an urban investigation into potential connections to significant public places throughout Sydney. This resulted in the transformation of the Cahill Expressway into a grand pedestrian route leading to the edge of the sandstone cliff overlooking Barangaroo. Here a new bridge invites access onto the great deck of an adaptable and self-sustaining structure along a line drawn in direct response to the current development. The hybrid landscape-building structure above supports a mixed network of prefabricated, affordable residential and workspace modules, interspersed with communal space. This also forms the gateway to a dynamic open amphitheatre, a stage for public life that encourages all scales of gatherings.

Occupy: Barangaroo champions public space as a place to celebrate democracy and diversity. It encourages people to live, work and occupy Barangaroo for social, political and cultural reasons