Darwin Waterfront Masterplan by Hassell
Client: ABN Amro / Northern Territory Government
Jury comment
The jury was impressed with this project because it was felt to present a “quantum shift.” Hassell’s masterplan for the Darwin waterfront reconceptualizes its relationship to the city, extending city street patterns to a new harbourfront precinct while also reflecting Darwin’s unique cultural and landscape heritage.
The scheme manages to maintain a strong community focus by providing democratic access to the foreshore, while also creating opportunities for private development which will introduce new commercial and residential development into this area of the city, with interspersed public and private spaces. This is in contrast to other residential developments in this area of Darwin, which tend to become residential enclaves rather than mixed-use, more urban precincts. The proposed arrangement of buildings demonstrates a site-specific response to climate and local weather patterns, and allows a breeze-catching capacity deep into the site.
