Kengo Kuma commissioned for first Australian project: a dynamic civic hub for Sydney
POSTED 15 Mar 2016 . BY Kim Megson
Kuma said: 'The wooden screen wraps the exterior of the building in a dynamic and exciting manner' Credit: Lendlease
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will design his first building in Australia; a landmark civic hub in the heart of Sydney.
Named the Darling Exchange, the building will house a new library, a ground floor open market hall, a childcare centre, an innovation exchange and a rooftop bar and restaurant with sweeping views over Tumbalong Park and the city’s Cockle Bay. It will form the centrepiece of the new inner-city village Darling Square, which is itself part of a AUS$3.4bn (US$2.5bn, €2.28bn, £1.8bn) transformation of Darling Harbour.
Renderings of Kuma’s design show a spiralling, coil-like wooden facade somewhat reminiscent of a Slinky toy.
“Our aim is to achieve architecture that is as open and tangible as possible to the community, and this is reflected in the circular geometry that creates a building that is accessible and recognisable from multiple directions,” said Kuma.
“The wooden screen wraps the exterior of the building in a dynamic and exciting manner, a historical reference to Darling Harbour originally being a hive of business activity and a focal point as a market exchange.
“The Darling Exchange will be an important civic building for Sydney, for all the public to enjoy, and a new community hub that people in the city can be proud of.”
A new 2,700sqm (29,000sq ft) urban square, designed by landscape architects Aspect Studios, will be an extension of Kuma’s building, and will include areas for pop-up markets, retail and public green space.
A lease agreement for the Exchange and urban square is expected to be finalised by the end of the year, subject to council approval and planning approval.
Steve McCann, managing director of Lendlease, said: “Throughout history, civic buildings and public squares have brought the community together. Our sincere desire is that The Darling Exchange will become a vibrant heart of the local community and a meeting place for all Sydneysiders and visitors.”
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Hadid Architects.
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renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Kengo Kuma commissioned for first Australian project: a dynamic civic hub for Sydney
POSTED 15 Mar 2016 . BY Kim Megson
Kuma said: 'The wooden screen wraps the exterior of the building in a dynamic and exciting manner' Credit: Lendlease
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma will design his first building in Australia; a landmark civic hub in the heart of Sydney.
Named the Darling Exchange, the building will house a new library, a ground floor open market hall, a childcare centre, an innovation exchange and a rooftop bar and restaurant with sweeping views over Tumbalong Park and the city’s Cockle Bay. It will form the centrepiece of the new inner-city village Darling Square, which is itself part of a AUS$3.4bn (US$2.5bn, €2.28bn, £1.8bn) transformation of Darling Harbour.
Renderings of Kuma’s design show a spiralling, coil-like wooden facade somewhat reminiscent of a Slinky toy.
“Our aim is to achieve architecture that is as open and tangible as possible to the community, and this is reflected in the circular geometry that creates a building that is accessible and recognisable from multiple directions,” said Kuma.
“The wooden screen wraps the exterior of the building in a dynamic and exciting manner, a historical reference to Darling Harbour originally being a hive of business activity and a focal point as a market exchange.
“The Darling Exchange will be an important civic building for Sydney, for all the public to enjoy, and a new community hub that people in the city can be proud of.”
A new 2,700sqm (29,000sq ft) urban square, designed by landscape architects Aspect Studios, will be an extension of Kuma’s building, and will include areas for pop-up markets, retail and public green space.
A lease agreement for the Exchange and urban square is expected to be finalised by the end of the year, subject to council approval and planning approval.
Steve McCann, managing director of Lendlease, said: “Throughout history, civic buildings and public squares have brought the community together. Our sincere desire is that The Darling Exchange will become a vibrant heart of the local community and a meeting place for all Sydneysiders and visitors.”
Kengo Kuma hits back in Tokyo 2020 stadium row POSTED 15 Jan 2016. BY Kim Megson The architect developing Japan’s National Stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games has
publicly refuted claims his studio have copied from an earlier design submitted by Zaha
Hadid Architects.
Kengo Kuma design enormous cave setting for Manila museum POSTED 21 Oct 2015. BY Kim Megson Kengo Kuma have turned the traditional idea of museum architecture on its head with
their latest design: a jungle-inspired complex set inside an enormous cave.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
