Opened in 1967, this low-rise building showcases the combined expertise of architect John James, designer and sculptor Douglas Annand and landscape architect Bruce Mackenzie. John James said the building was constructed of “machine age” components but they made every effort to avoid the “cold and sterile box and to create a warm, friendly place for people to work in”. Or at least, by the standards of the 1960s! When it opened it was decorated with cast iron sculptures, which–even though they’re pretty abstract–were too scandalous for the time, and most were quickly removed. It also has one of Australia’s first rooftop courtyard gardens, but we won’t be able to see that from the street.
Between September 1994 and September 1995 the building was refurbished to the design of Perumal Partners Architects, which worked in consultation with John James. In 2016 it won the National Award for Enduring Architecture.

Designed by Renzo Piano, the 41-storey building is 188 m (617 ft) tall to the roof, and 218 m (715 ft) to the top of the spire. Not one panel is parallel to any grid. The east façade bulges out slightly from its base, reaching its maximum width at the top floors. The curved and twisted shape of east façade was designed to share the mood of the Sydney Opera House like sails on the harbour. The exterior glass curtain-wall extends beyond the main building, creating an illusion of its independence.
Aurora Place won the 2002 Property Council of Australia Rider Hunt Award, handled out for technical and financial qualities. On 2 June 2009, French urban climber Alain Robert scaled this building in protest against climate change.

Conceptual sketches were enough for Jorn Utzon to win the design competition in 1957 to build on Sydney’s best site – previously occupied by a tram depot! By 1958 the tramsheds were gone and construction began in 1959 – before the design was complete. By the start of 1961 work was running almost a year behind schedule. After long and storied construction process it was finally opened in 1973. Our Sydney Opera House has won architecture awards in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2020s.

Designed by convict architect Francis Greenway, these barracks were completed in June 1819. Macquarie was so impressed by Greenway’s design that he gave him a full pardon.
Macquarie noted that since opening, “not a tenth part of the former Night Robberies and Burglaries” occurred. But others complained that collecting “depraved and desperate characters” in one area had just condensed the problem. Originally designed for 600 men, up to 1400 men were housed in the Barracks at any one time. Around 30,000 men and boys passed through the Barracks between 1819 and 1848.
Convict transportation ended in 1840, and in 1848 the Barracks became the Female Immigration Depot, the Orphan Institution until 1852, and the Asylum for Infirm and Destitute Women between 1862 and 1886. In 1886 the women were moved out and the courts expanded into the site.
Conservation works in the 1980s unearthed about 100,000 artifacts preserved for over 150 years under the floorboards. Since the restoration the Barracks have been open to the public as a museum. The clock is the oldest public clock in Australia, and still wound by hand every week.
In 2010 the site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In 1820 Father John Therry arrived in Sydney to officially minister to the Roman Catholics in Sydney. The day he arrived, he had a vision of a mighty church of golden stone dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary raising its twin spires above the city of Sydney. And 180 years later, it came to pass.
The first archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Australia, John Polding, laid the foundation stone for the cathedral in 1868. Although the dedication Mass was held in 1882, the nave was only finished in 1928, the crypt in 1961, and the spires in 2000.
St Mary’s Cathedral is oriented in a north–south direction rather than the usual east–west. The liturgical East End is at the north and the West Front is to the south. The entrance façade is loosely based on Notre Dame in Paris.
It was listed on the state Heritage register in 2004.

The Mitchell Wing of the State Library of NSW was designed by Walter Liberty Vernon and completed in 1910. It is the oldest public library in Australia. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 1999. The 1926 statue of William Shakespeare out front was moved in 1959 to make room for Cahill Expressway traffic. Luckily there are plans afoot to relocate it somewhere more sensible.

Built in the 1870s for the Colonial Secretary (later known as the Chief Secretary), who was the most important government official in NSW in the 19th century, responsible for the administration of the colony. The elevated site and its monumental scale reflects this important status.
The first stage was built between 1873 and 1881, by Colonial Architect James Barnet. It was extended in the 1890s to fit the growing number of staff of the Department, and the Department of Public Works. Sir Henry Parkes, 5 times NSW Premier and Colonial Secretary, played an important role in the design of the building. In 1877 he commissioned Italian-born sculptor Achille Simonetti to carve 6 allegorical figures for the niches on the corner facades of the building. They depict Justice, Wisdom, Mercy, Science, Labour, and Art.

Crown Sydney was designed by WilkinsonEyre. It was completed in 2020 and includes a hotel, casino, restaurants and bars and residential apartments. It is 273m tall with 75 floors. The casino was very controversial, since by the time the building was ready to open in December 2020, Crown Resorts had admitted to money laundering and was banned from operating. After a corporate takeover and a complete renewal of the board and management, the casino finally opened in August 2022.
The tower sits on the site of former industrial wharves. The design of the tower is based on three “petals” that twist 60 degrees along the height of the building. In 2021 It was the first Australian building to win the Emporis Skyscaper Award.

This is the first building in Australia designed by Canadian American architect Frank Gehry. Its named after a Chinese businessman who donated $20 million for the building’s construction, and his honorary doctorate.
The building’s design is based on the idea of a tree-house structure. The western facade is all angled glass shards, and the northern, eastern, and southern sides are made of 320,000 custom-designed bricks and give it the look of a crumpled paper bag. Frank Gehry said, “Maybe it’s a brown paper bag, but it’s flexible on the inside, there’s a lot of room for changes or movement.”
The 13-storey tower provides teaching, learning, research and office accommodation for approximately 1,256 students and 326 academic staff.