Sydney's new fish market will offer fresh seafood, with a side of sustainable design. Led by 3XN, the sizable project will be defined by an attractive roof that hosts a rainwater capture system and helps keep the interior of the market a comfortable temperature.
Sydney Fish Market is being created in collaboration with BVN, GXN Innovation, and Aspect Studios, and is part of a larger scheme to revitalise Sydney's Blackwattle Bay.
It will measure 65,000 sq m (around 700,000 sq ft), making it the largest fish market in the southern hemisphere, according to 3XN. The building will be flanked by public plazas, which will be connected to the market with amphitheater staircases that double as places for the public to sit and enjoy the surroundings. The market's interior will be open and flexible, and will be topped by a distinctive timber and aluminum roof, which is a key part of its sustainability.
"The building's roof is an integral aspect of the fish market's iconic design but also its overall sustainability strategy," explains 3XN. "Shaped to respond to the spatial demands of the program below, it also harvests rainwater for reuse, protects the retail spaces from the sun, and filters daylight for operations below. The unique form uses prevailing winds to extract hot air and protects the sellers from southerly winds. The canopy, made from timber and aluminum, is designed to be as permeable as possible, minimizing the need for air conditioning, while also deflecting direct sunlight."
Captured rainwater, as well as greywater, will be subjected to both bio-filtration and mechanical filtration and then sterilization. This will make the water safe for use in the daily washing down of the market. There will also be industrial recycling systems installed to process food waste.
Sydney Fish Market recently got the thumbs-up from the city's planning authorities – they recently greenlit Australia's tallest tower too – and is slated to begin construction in the next eight weeks. Completion is expected in 2024 and up to six million people are eventually expected to visit per year.
Source: 3XN