Situated on one of modern Australia's most significant historical and iconographic sites
The objective of The Overseas Passenger Terminal (OPT) project was to upgrade and expand the existing building for the booming cruising market in a manner that also accommodates a diverse range of functions and appreciates its unique context, whilst remaining sympathetic to the existing structure.The OPT site at Circular Quay forms a critical part of Sydney's industrial foreshore heritage. It is situated on one of modern Australia's most significant historical and iconographic sites, as the landing site of the First Fleet. It was therefore paramount that TTW's structural and civil design was responsive to the historical importance of the port and of the building to Sydney. The scheme involved an extension to define the plaza and improve legibility of the entrance, a new mezzanine structure inside the building, an extension of the elevated roadway, new plantroom space and a new vertical transportation system to the upper decks.
TTW's structural, civil and Façade designers worked closely with the architects JPW to develop schemes that maintained the architectural intent, ensuring the built form of the OPT upgrade is well integrated and in sympathy with the terminal building (primarily steel and glass to maximise the level of transparency) and adjacent public domain.