Three towers proposed for Sydney’s Waterloo station development

An over-station development that includes three towers of 23, 25 and 29 storeys will be built at Waterloo Station in inner Sydney, under the NSW government’s masterplan for the precinct.

A concept development application with drawings prepared by Turner and Turf Design has been submitted for the development of the Waterloo Metro Quarter precinct.

Waterloo is a key new station in the Sydney Metro network and together with the planned mixed-used development around the station, the government organization hopes it will be a “key catalyst” for the area and for the adjacent Waterloo Estate.

The Design Guidelines indicate that a lead architect would be responsible for the design of the station, ground plane, podium levels and any buildings immediately above the station while at least three other architects will be engaged to design the taller towers and a proposed community building.

Indicative designs for the Waterloo Station development have been completed by by Turner and Turf Design.

Indicative designs for the Waterloo Station development have been completed by by Turner and Turf Design.

Image: NSW governement

Bound by Botany Road and Raglan, Cope and Wellington Streets, the development will include around 700 dwellings, including 5 to 10 percent affordable housing and 70 social housing dwellings.

It will also include approximately 3,905 square metres of retail and entertainment space, 8,645 square metres of office space and recreational facilities and at least 2,000 square metres for community uses.

“The integrated station development will create a vibrant, mixed use local centre that serves as the gateway to the Waterloo Precinct and caters to the needs of the Metro Quarter, Waterloo Estate and metro customers,” the Design Guidelines statement reads.

“The built form and public domain will distinctively reflect the local character and respond to place and its context and deliver high quality architecture.”

Among the strategies employed to achieve this will be to create a pair of plazas adjacent to the station entry, with one north-facing plaza along Raglan Street and another along Cope Street that engages with the Waterloo Estate and the Waterloo Congregational Church.

Along Botany Street, the built form of the podium will relate to the “street scale and rhythm” of the existing heritage items and urban grain to create a “retail street,” while along Wellington Street a lower podium height will be used.

Indicative designs for the Waterloo Station development have been completed by by Turner and Turf Design.

Indicative designs for the Waterloo Station development have been completed by by Turner and Turf Design.

Image: NSW governement

The concept development application for the precinct is on exhibition for public comment, along with a state-significant precinct (SSP) study prepared by Urban Growth NSW which covers the metro station and the adjacent Wellington Estate, a largely publicly owned area subject to significant and controversial renewal.

That Urban Growth study includes a range of proposed changes to planning controls in the precinct. “Advancing the Waterloo Metro Quarter masterplan will require a comprehensive update of current planning controls,” a spokesperson for the Department of Planning and Environment said.

The draft planning controls on exhibition include new height and floor space ratio controls. With provisions proposed to encourage developers to include end-of-trip facilities.

“The Department of Planning and Environment will work carefully to assess the draft planning controls and proposed plans for the Waterloo Metro Quarter and will continue to include the City of Sydney on its expert review panel,” the spokesperson said.

The proposed over-station development plans and draft planning controls will be on public exhibition until 30 January.

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