The New South Wales government has announced six shortlisted design teams for the Bays West International Design Competition, advancing plans to transform Sydney’s inner-west waterfront into a vibrant new precinct.
The urban renewal project will deliver up to 8,500 new homes, including at least 10 per cent reserved for affordable and essential worker housing.
Spanning White Bay Power Station and Glebe Island, the development will open the harbour foreshore to the public for the first time in over a century, while preserving essential working harbour operations.
Selected by an independent Design Advisory Panel from 165 global submissions, the shortlisted consortiums include prominent local and international firms.
Highlights include partnerships involving Herzog & de Meuron, Allies and Morrison with Bates Smart, and BVN alongside Copenhagen-based studio Cobe.
Smaller Australian firms, such as Breathe Architecture and Aileen Sage, are also featured across the shortlisted teams.
Each team will now create an Urban Framework to shape the precinct’s master plan, supported by the new Sydney Metro West station to provide direct transport connections.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said the quality of the shortlisted candidates underscored the project’s global and local significance.
“The calibre of teams shortlisted for the Bays West International Design Competition reflects the premier location and significance of this project and the opportunity to help shape Sydney’s newest waterfront suburb,” Scully said.
“Bays West will deliver new homes, public spaces and waterfront access in one of the most strategically important locations in Sydney, and this competition is helping make sure we get that vision right from the start.”
The Bays West Delivery Authority and Government Architect NSW are leading the competition process.
Shortlisted entries and the winning design are scheduled for public exhibition in early 2027, allowing the community to provide further feedback on the precinct’s future character.
