_One Barangaroo architect gives the lowdown on the development transforming Sydney’s iconic harbour

Ten years ago a development like One Barangaroo would have been nearly impossible. That’s mainly because of the technology – it’s quite advanced. We’ve got a lot of double curvature surfaces, which you couldn’t have done in the past.

The concept relates to a sculpture I’d worked on with three petals that twist as they rise up into the air. The idea was to create an inhabited artwork. The residences are very international. They take advantage of the site location and the fantastic panoramic views – they’re also quite advanced in the way they’re designed.

^{Above: One Barangaroo's residences and six-star hotel now form part of Sydney's iconic skyline} 

There’s been a lot of talk about Barangaroo, and it’s a very interesting concept because before it was just a slab of concrete with no shape to it at all. What our clients were trying to do was to create a high spot at the end of the promenade, to make it worthwhile carrying on to the end, and seeing all these really nice cafés, bars and restaurants and then the park, so it becomes a destination. There are three Richard Rogers towers and two Renzo Piano residential buildings, so suddenly Sydney is going to have this very strong architectural composition.

^{Above: One Barangaroo's 82 private residences that have been designed not just to frame the views of Sydney Harbour’s icons, but to stand alongside them as a defining landmark} 

Sydney is a growing economy, it’s a very successful city and that means change. It’s competing with Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, so you’ve got to allow for growth. In terms of global design, the one thing I’m seeing is a move for more high-rises in the centre to take the pressure away from the outskirts. The benefits of having taller buildings is that it puts a stop to the spread and makes central living easier.

Above: A view from inside One Barangaroo.