2021 Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design

Jury citation

The adaptive re-use of the HMAS Platypus precinct in Sydney is a profound and exemplary urban design transformation. The re-imagining of this historically layered and topographically complex Sydney foreshore site, which fronts Neutral Harbour and sits on the eastern edge of the established neighbourhood of Kirribilli, was a collaborative project for the architect, the landscape architect and their client, the Harbour Trust. Established as the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust by the Australian Government in 2001, the Harbour Trust is the custodian of a suite of former Defence Department and Commonwealth holdings, with its aim being to enhance public accessibility through the conservation, remediation and adaptive re-use of these significant sites.

At the Sub Base Platypus, the approach to the adaptive re-use of the remnant industrial and military structures is bold and inquisitive. The detailed repair, removal and upgrade work is underpinned by a porous and legible urban diagram that facilitates public access to an area of the Sydney foreshore that was off-limits to the public for more than 150 years. The site, which is located on the land of the Cammeraygal people, has previously been used as a torpedo factory, a submarine base and a gasworks. From 1967 until 1999, it was the Royal Australian Navy’s base for six Oberon-class submarines.

There is a significant level-change from the suburban fringe of Kirribilli down to the waterfront precinct; this journey is carefully choreographed by robust set-piece elements that ensure universal access and clear wayfinding. Under the management of the Trust, substantial remediation works and extensive community consultation have been undertaken at HMAS Platypus. The scenic locale is now coming alive as a new community and commercial hub, with the waterfront park and promenades creating an engaging new destination that is linked to active mobility and public transport networks.

Project credits

Project leads: Lahznimmo Architects and Aspect Studios; Project team: Andrew Nimmo, Hugo Cottier, Jemima Manton, Stephanie Gotis-Graham, Ben Gore, Sacha Coles, Kate Luckraft, Louise Pearson, Lauren Nissen, Lachlan Bellach, Dean Coulson, Alex Woodside; Builder: Haslin Constructions; Project manager: Harbour Trust; Structural engineer: SDA Structures; Services consultant: Northrop Consulting Engineers; Wayfinding: Urban and Public.

Sub Base Platypus by Lahznimmo Architects and Aspect Studios is located in North Sydney, New South Wales, on the land of the Cammeraygal people.