FIRST NATIONS DESIGN DEFINES AKIN TEAM’S WINNING CONCEPT FOR BARANGAROO

AKIN is a First Nations-led and Sydney-based team made up of Yerrabingin, Architectus, Flying Fish Blue, Jacob Nash Design, and Studio Chris Fox, with Arup as engineering consultants. The group includes leading thinkers and designers in Indigenous knowledge systems, landscape architecture, architecture, regenerative design, public art, and placemaking.

Working alongside Infrastructure NSW, AKIN is set to reshape 1.85 hectares of reclaimed land in the heart of Central Barangaroo, the last section of the broader 22-hectare precinct to be developed. Served by a new Sydney Metro station, ferry wharves, and pedestrian links, the new landscape will host public events and entertainment, while shops, restaurants, apartments, and offices will emerge around its edges.

Named after the Cammeraygal woman and influential leader of the Eora Nation, Barangaroo has more than 7,000 years of history and stories to tell. The land’s Traditional Custodians, the Gadigal, used the area for hunting, fishing, canoeing, and swimming, while its foreshore was a gathering place.

AKIN’s Country-led design is deeply rooted in this rich heritage, weaving together the threads of landscape, art, and architecture to create a place of connection, reconciliation, and regeneration.

Country-centered design initiatives will support regenerative ecology and natural systems, drawing insects, birds, and other fauna. A landscape of local, native plantings will speak directly of place, with tree species such as Sydney Red Gum, Casuarina and Cabbage Tree Palm featuring prominently, along with a variety of endemic grasses.

Water will also play a vital role in the new parkland, with runoff collected and filtered through the landscape before being returned to the Harbour in better condition.

The design incorporates significant public artworks revolving around the natural elements of water, wind, and moon, referred to as ‘vessels’ by AKIN. The elements all have special significance in Indigenous knowledge systems.

The water vessel will form a connection point to the Harbour and a place for gathering and ceremony. Constructed from timber, it will reference pre-settlement campfires that burned along the Harbour as well as Sydney’s shared contemporary history. The piece will also frame Me-Mel Island (Goat Island), a physical and cultural landmark for Traditional Custodians.

Suspended in the windiest corner of the park, the wind vessel will symbolically ‘collect’ the people who pass through it. It will give a ‘voice’ to whispering winds coming into Barangaroo from the west each morning, sharing stories, songs and language with all the park’s visitors.

Featuring an oculus and a reflective, lined underside echoing tidal lines in the Harbour, the elevated moon vessel will capture the movement of the moon across the sky. The west-facing site is a landscape of longing that never sees a dawn – an ever-present reminder of time as the sun and moon are always transiting away from this place.

In addition to the public artwork the park will provide open space for up to 6,000 people to gather, with benches, paths, a kiosk, and other amenities adding to the park’s diverse appeal.

Yerrabingin founder and CEO, Christian Hampson, who is orchestrating AKIN’s design themes, said: "We are honoured to be part of such a defining public project, and also humbled to be given the permission to dream. For us, this is much more than a park – it's a place to celebrate an enduring culture and to move with Country, acknowledging and experiencing our collective past and present while dreaming of our future.”

“Our design is a new chapter connected to the most ancient of stories, carved in the sandstone of Sydney: the story of Country and of us, its people. We hope this new chapter inspires all our young people, fanning the embers inside them into a fire as the future artists, architects, designers, and engineers of our cities and our nation.”

Yerrabingin landscape architect and urban designer, Jessica Hodge added: “This project represents a symbolic shift in the landscape architecture and design culture of Sydney. It’s significant, city-shaping work led by an entirely local team, with a scheme built upon First Nations knowledge and a deep respect for Country. Setting a new benchmark for design and process, the landscape architecture unifies all elements, including art and architecture, with a shared objective of elevating Country and ultimately creating a place for all kin.”

Architectus Principal, Luke Johnson said: “We are fortunate to be part of such a visionary team and concept. Barangaroo Harbour Park will generate for Sydney a public place like no other. A city-scaled platform positioned on the Harbour’s edge, where a Country-led, layered landscape will positively contribute to a deeper understanding of First Nations people, culture, and knowledge.”

Artists Jacob Nash and Chris Fox said: “The three significant First Nations led artworks will not be static – they will be deeply engaged with the Country that they reside upon. They will be brought to life through an interplay with nature and the seasons and established as sites for gathering. They will function as living cultural objects within the city of Sydney to be loved and appreciated by local residents, visitors, and the world, for generations to come.”