Crown Sydney (also referred to as One Barangaroo) is a skyscraper in

Barangaroo Barangaroo was the second wife of Bennelong, who was interlocutor between the Aboriginal people and the early British colonists in New South Wales. Barangaroo was a member of the Cammeraygal clan. While Bennelong spent considerable time in the ...

, New South Wales, Australia. Designed by

WilkinsonEyre WilkinsonEyre is an international architecture practice based in London, England. In 1983 Chris Wilkinson founded Chris Wilkinson Architects, he partnered with Jim Eyre in 1987 and the practice was renamed WilkinsonEyre in 1999. The practice ha ...

, it stands at a height of with 75 floors, making it the tallest building in Sydney and 4th tallest building in Australia. It was developed by

Crown Resorts Crown Resorts Limited is Australia's largest gaming and entertainment group that owns and operates two of Australia's leading gambling and entertainment complexes, Crown Melbourne and Crown Perth. It was listed on the Australian Securities E ...

, primarily comprising a hotel and residential apartments, while a casino and other hospitality venues make up the rest of its floorspace. Construction first began in October 2016, before topping out in March 2020. The tower was inaugurated to the public in December 2020. Crown Sydney is a major component in the

urban redevelopment Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...

of the

area of central Sydney, forming part of a cluster of skyscrapers comprising the adjacent One Sydney Harbour and International Towers complexes. The tower sits on the site of former industrial

wharves A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring locatio ...

, which were progressively paved over through

land reclamation Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamati ...

in the 1960s and 70s after falling into disuse, forming the unoccupied concrete site on which the tower was developed on.

Background

Early proposals

Millers Point NSW 2000, Australia - panoramio (128)

Initial concepts for a hotel development in Barangaroo as part of its urban redevelopment plan first circulated in 2010. These concepts mostly centred around a 213 metre (698 ft) tall hotel tower built on a pier extended 150 metres (492 ft) into the harbour. Following public backlash, the height of the tower was lowered to 159 metres (522 ft) and the length of the pier was reduced to 85 metres (279 ft). These proposals failed to gain traction. In February 2012,

James Packer James Douglas Packer (born 8 September 1967) is an Australian billionaire businessman and investor. Packer is the son of Kerry Packer , a media mogul, and his wife, Roslyn Packer . He is the grandson of Sir Frank Packer. He inherited control o ...

's casino group,

, presented an A$1 billion+ proposal to Premier

Barry O'Farrell Barry Robert O'Farrell (born 24 May 1959) is a former Australian politician who has been Australia's High Commissioner to India and non-resident Ambassador to Bhutan since May 2020. O'Farrell was the 43rd Premier of New South Wales and Minis ...

to build a hotel, casino and entertainment complex at the site on land that was set aside for open space at Barangaroo Central, a departure from previous concepts of building a tower on an extended pier in the harbour. O'Farrell initially welcomed the proposal, yet cautioned it would need to gain regulatory approval before going ahead. The proposal drew widespread criticism from the Lord Mayor

Clover Moore Clover Margaret Moore (née Collins, born 22 October 1945) is an Australian politician. She has been the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney since 2004 and is currently the longest serving Lord Mayor of Sydney since the creation of the City of Syd ...

, Paul Keating, and former government architect, Chris Johnson. In October 2012, Premier O'Farrell announced that the NSW Cabinet had reviewed the proposal and decided that the government would enter into detailed negotiations with Crown Resorts for the establishment of a casino and hotel complex at Barangaroo. Tony Harris, a former

Auditor-General of New South Wales The Auditor-General of New South Wales helps the Parliament of New South Wales hold government accountable for its use of public resources. The Auditor-General is responsible for audits of NSW Government agencies, universities, and NSW local go ...

was critical of the decision−making process, claiming the public could miss out on millions of dollars. Packer wrote a defence of his proposal for the press. In July 2013 after a recommendation from an independent steering committee, O'Farrell announced the Crown proposal would be moved to Stage 3 of the unsolicited proposals process, the final stage where the parties will negotiate a binding contract. The government received a $100 million upfront fee for the licence, despite being offered $250 million with alternative tax arrangements which the steering committee's economic advisor Deloitte calculated was a superior offer. Crown's intention was to lure Chinese high-rollers to its Sydney casino, leveraging off its interests in its Macau casinos and taking advantage of a new streamlined visa process introduced by the Australian government for Chinese citizens wanting to gamble at Australian casinos. In November 2013, it was announced that Crown Sydney had received approval for the casino licence and place at Barangaroo.

Approval

In November 2015, Packer expressed his frustrations over the delaying of the project from strenuous government planning laws. Following this in March 2016, a series of proposals to change aspects of the building were recommended by the State Government in order for the project to receive final approval. This included the introduction of a new recess in the interior as well as new cladding on the south side of the building. An observation deck on the 66th floor from a height of 250 metres (820 ft) above ground, as well as public access to the upper floors, was also proposed. In June 2016, the casino received final approval from the Planning Assessment Commission on condition that the casino met needs proposed by the commission, including adequate public spaces and access.

Controversies

Despite the development's approval, the Millers Point Fund lodged legal action against the project in early August 2016 challenging the validity of the casino and aiming to have construction on the project halted. Crown Resorts responded, stating they would "vigorously defend" their actions. The dispute was held in the

Land and Environment Court of New South Wales The Land and Environment Court of New South Wales is a court within the Australian court hierarchy established pursuant to the to hear environmental, development, building and planning disputes. The Court’s jurisdiction, confined to the state ...

in late August, with a decisive dismissal of the Millers Point Fund's claims. In November 2020, Crown Resorts was investigated by

Liquor & Gaming NSW Liquor & Gaming NSW is an agency of the Government of New South Wales, that is part of the Customer Service cluster. Liquor and Gaming NSW is responsible for the development, implementation and integrity of the regulatory framework for liquor sal ...

after Crown Resorts admitted to money laundering in some of its VIP accounts at Crown venues in other states. Consequently, Crown Sydney was blocked from opening its casino entity, although other operations within the building remained unaffected. Following a complete overhaul of Crown Resort's board, management and procedures, a conditional license was finally granted for the casino in June 2022, allowing for its opening in August 2022.

Construction

Lendlease was contracted for the main construction of the structure, while the

Robert Bird Group Robert Bird Group (RBG), established in 1982, is an Australian global consulting engineering firm. RBG became a member of the Surbana Jurong Group in late 2017. Services Robert Bird Group provides structural engineering, civil engineering, ...

oversaw structural engineering and LCI as head of MEP servicing. Initial site works commenced in October 2016, starting with an

excavation Excavation may refer to: * Excavation (archaeology) * Excavation (medicine) * ''Excavation'' (The Haxan Cloak album), 2013 * ''Excavation'' (Ben Monder album), 2000 * ''Excavation'' (novel), a 2000 novel by James Rollins * '' Excavation: A Mem ...

and

decontamination Decontamination (sometimes abbreviated as decon, dcon, or decontam) is the process of removing contaminants on an object or area, including chemicals, micro-organisms or radioactive substances. This may be achieved by chemical reaction, disinfecti ...

of the site, mostly of remnants of

asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere ...

; indicative of the site's industrial history. Excavation of the basement and

foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...

works would continue throughout 2017. Between February and March 2018,

tower cranes A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist rope, wire ropes or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and to move them horizontally. It is mainly used for lifting heavy objects and transporti ...

were assembled on site, to commence works on the main

core Core or cores may refer to: Science and technology * Core (anatomy), everything except the appendages * Core (manufacturing), used in casting and molding * Core (optical fiber), the signal-carrying portion of an optical fiber * Core, the central ...

and floorplates, which would see the structure start to rise throughout 2018. A top-down method of construction was utilised on the core. By March 2019, the structure had reached a height of 120 metres (394 ft). The structure continued to rise throughout 2019, reaching a "halfway point" in its construction by May 2019, which would be followed closely by the installation of approximately 7000 triangular glass panels for the facade of the building. The main core of the structure

topped-out In building construction, topping out (sometimes referred to as topping off) is a builders' rite traditionally held when the last beam (or its equivalent) is placed atop a structure during its construction. Nowadays, the ceremony is often parlay ...

in March 2020, followed by the floorplates which topped out and reached the building's full architectural height in May 2020. Fit-out of the internals of the building and facade continued throughout 2020, before completion was reached in December 2020. Crown Sydney was officially inaugurated to the public on 28 December 2020. File:Barangaroo towers (cropped).jpg, July 2017 File:Crown construction june 2018.jpg, June 2018 File:Construction at Barangaroo (cropped).jpg, August 2018 File:Barangaroo - construction of the new Crown Casino and the new Metro station (cropped).jpg, March 2019 File:Crown Sydney2 (cropped).jpg, July 2019 File:Sydney (AU), Barangaroo -- 2019 -- 2093.jpg, October 2019 File:Crown Sydney UC in December 2019 (cropped).jpg, December 2019 File:Crown Sydney topped out 2.jpg, February 2020 File:Barangaroo Sydney 2019 03 (cropped).jpg, April 2020 File:Crown Sydney - November 2020.jpg, November 2020 File:Crown Sydney, Barangaroo.jpg, March 2021 (completion)

Design and layout

In 2013, Crown Resorts launched a design competition, seeking expressions of interest from eight architecture firms with experience in similar hospitality focused projects. A shortlist of designs from Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill,

Kohn Pedersen Fox Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) is an American architecture firm that provides architecture, interior, programming and master planning services for clients in both the public and private sectors. KPF is one of the largest architecture firms in ...

and

were subsequently selected and a jury panel was formed to select the hotel's final design and Principal Architect. The jury panel consisted of representatives from Crown Resorts, Lendlease and the Barangaroo Delivery Authority as well as a prominent architect representing the NSW Department of Planning and an observer from the City of Sydney. A unanimous vote in favour of Wilkinson Eyre's design was finalised in May 2013. The design and form of the tower takes inspiration from natural forms and curved geometry, emanating from three "petals" that twist and rise together, The geometry of the tower was derived using parametric 3D modelling, to accommodate a 60-degree twist in the outer skin with helical columns on the perimeter while maintaining a vertical core structure. According to Wilkinson Eyre, the tower ''"is derived from a sculptural form that is reminiscent of three twisting petals and takes inspiration from nature, being composed of organic forms without literal or direct reference".'' Additionally, the twisting shape of the upper and intermediate levels of the tower are designed to maximise views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. Founding architect

Chris Wilkinson Christopher Wilkinson (born 5 January 1970) is a former tennis player from England. Career Born and bred in Southampton, Chris Wilkinson has achieved much in the world of tennis. But it could have been very different as his first passion was ...

further describes the design of the tower as ''"a sculptural form that will rise up on the skyline like an inhabited artwork, with differing levels of transparency, striking a clear new image against the sky”.'' Crown Sydney comprises a floor area of . The casino floor along with bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues occupy the podium of the tower. Crown Resort's six star hotel makes up the lower levels of the tower from levels 6 to 32, including the protruding lower south east wing of the building. Private residential apartments occupy levels 33 to 63 of the tower, while duplex penthouses occupy levels 64 to 66. A public observation deck occupies a small section of level 66. The tower is topped with the hotel's "sky

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became sm ...

s", occupying levels 67 to 69, with

utilities A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and r ...

making up the remaining levels of 70 and 71.

Gallery

File:Crown Sydney from Millers Point, NSW, May 2021, 02.jpg, The building's northern facade File:Crown Sydney Barangaroo1.jpg, Podium viewed from the west File:Watermans Cove Sydney.jpg, View north from Waterman's Cove File:Crown Hotel Barangaroo Sydney 01.jpg, Main hotel lobby File:Crown Hotel Barangaroo Sydney 05.jpg, Lift lobby

Popular opinion

Popular opinion is divided on the design of the tower. Australian and international media have reported that the building has been nicknamed "Packer's Pecker", in reference to its primary proponent, James Packer, and its outsized massing and phallic shape. Former Australian prime minister Paul Keating admired the tower for its ''"Brancusi-like sculptural quality"'' and clean sculptural shape. Some architectural commentators have commented unfavourably on the quality of the design, especially compared to other works by its designers. On the other hand, Crown Resorts has described the tower as "epic" and having "opulence, style and substance". Emporis named Crown Sydney as the winner of their prestigious Skyscraper Award in 2021; the first building in Australia to win the award in the competition's 20 year history. Coming ahead of the Telus Sky tower and One Vanderbilt in 2nd and 3rd places respectively, a jury of international architects attributed Crown Sydney's ''"extravagant design of (its) exterior facade"'' as the deciding factor for its first place finish.

Sociological criticism

Researchers from the Responsible Gambling Fund financed, University of Sydney Gambling Treatment Clinic, have suggested that strategies such as a minimum bet size are not likely to prevent the local community from being affected by problem gambling. They have suggested that students, new immigrants and working class individuals are typically and more likely found to be losing large amounts of money at Casino style table and electronic games. Academic researchers have suggested that while the casino is initially not licensed to offer poker machines, it will inevitably gain a licence in future years.

References

External links

Official site

Building at The Skyscraper Center database
{{Sydney skyscrapers Casinos in Australia Hotels in Sydney Skyscrapers in Sydney 2020 establishments in Australia