Sydney Metro City Line – ADC

The newest stretch of the Sydney Metro City line is officially up and running, marking a key moment in the evolution of the city’s transport network. As Australia’s largest infrastructure project, totalling $21.6bn, the Sydney Metro represents a transformative chapter in Sydney’s history, echoing the impact of the Harbour Bridge since its completion in 1932. The new line knits together Sydney’s north west, west, south west and ‘greater west’ regions, linking them with fully accessible stations.

The new stretch of track spans Chatswood (north Sydney) and Sydenham (south Sydney) with a new crossing that goes underneath Sydney harbour. Central to the project are Gadigal Station, Barangoo Station, Sydney Central Station and Waterloo Station.

Sydney Central Station

Woods Bagot in collaboration with John McAslan + Partners

The redevelopment of Sydney Central Station is poised to accommodate nearly half a million passengers daily. The project, delivered by Laing O’Rourke and designed by Woods Bagot in collaboration with John McAslan Partners, integrates the existing early 20th-century terminus, celebrating the historic fabric of the site.

This approach sets the stage for the station’s new centrepiece — a dramatic, top-lit hall forming its northern concourse. The expansive, vaulted roof allows natural light to flood the space, evoking the grandeur of traditional station halls, with this airy, luminous space set to serve as a striking introduction to the city for travellers. Dubbed the ‘Central Walk’  the 19-metre-wide concourse has been designed to ease congestion and improve pedestrian flow, connecting Chalmers Street and the Sydney Light Rail directly to the new metro platforms as well as providing easier access to other platforms beyond.

Another key element of the upgraded station is the construction of two new metro platforms, designed by Woods Bagot, which have been placed beneath existing intercity platforms above. In doing so, travellers on the Sydney Metro can now easily interlink with further suburban, intercity and regional rail services.

“The implementation of open spaces such as the new Northern Concourse roof and finishes, and Central Walk significantly improves circulation and station legibility, resulting in a station design that is easy and intuitive for all customers, irrespective of the mode of travel used,” said Woods Bagot principal and transport lead John Prentice. “The new metro and concourse insertions are designed to be purposeful, functional, and sculpturally rich to complement the historic qualities of the original station. The selection of materials establishes the proposals into their local context and provides a civic quality to the new station works.”

Barangaroo Station

Foster + Partners in collaboration with Architectus

As part of the METRON consortium, Foster + Partners played a crucial role in shaping the preliminary designs for five stations along the Sydney Metro City & Southwest route: Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Gadigal, and Waterloo. The practice’s initial scope of work focused on defining the passenger experience, integrating the over-station developments, and ensuring seamless connections between each station and its surrounding precinct. In addition to their preliminary work, Foster + Partners were responsible for overseeing the design of Barangaroo and Gadigal stations from conception through to construction.

The newly opened Barangaroo Station enhances access to the Walsh Bay Arts and Culture area, as well as the public, residential, commercial, and entertainment areas Barangaroo in northwest Sydney. The station improves pedestrian links to the northern part of the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) and helps to alleviate congestion at nearby Wynyard and Martin Place stations.

There are two new entrances, with the primary entrance opening onto Nawi Cove, comprising a bank of three escalators beneath a protective canopy and a pavilion housing two lifts. The design emphasises clear sightlines across the area, extending views to Nawi Cove and the harbour beyond. A second future entrance is planned to offer direct access from the concourse to the Barangaroo Central development.

White terrazzo has been employed as a finish to the concourse floor, while the station walls are clad in split-face local sandstone, a nod to the material palette of the nearby Headland Park.

Gadigal Station

Foster + Partners in collaboration with Cox Architecture

Gadigal Station, formerly known as Pitt Street Station, is strategically positioned at the junction of Sydney’s southern CBD and the Midtown retail precinct. Serving a diverse area that includes employment, residential, entertainment, cultural, and event-based functions, the station also connects to Chinatown, further enhancing its importance as a transit hub.

The station features entrances at both the northern and southern ends of the platforms. The southern entrance is integrated with an adjacent block of flats, Parkline Place, an office tower also designed by Foster + Partners, with the station entry structure serving as the foundation for the over-station development.

Meanwhile the northern entrance, which faces Park Street – one of Sydney’s key east-west thoroughfares – is distinguished by a glass veil that floods the concourse with daylight throughout the day.

At concourse level, the surface has been paved with grey granite which extends from the street. Walls are clad in white back-painted glass panels, transitioning to local sandstone as one moves below ground. The lower levels are finished with white terrazzo flooring, while the underground station environment is lined with glass-reinforced concrete panels on the walls and aluminium tubes on the ceiling, with the station’s curved geometry being designed to guide passengers intuitively from concourse to platform.

“Sydney Metro is a landmark project that has the potential to transform the way people travel across the city,” Gerard Evenden, head of studio at Foster + Partners said in a statement. “We are delighted to see our new metro stations opening to the public – enhancing connectivity and encouraging sustainable travel for generations to come.”

Waterloo Station

John McAslan + Partners

In addition to their work at Central Station, John McAslan + Partners also worked on Waterloo Station, which now serves as a vital hub within one of Australia’s most rapidly expanding urban areas.

At Waterloo Station, the practice worked closely with local artists to incorporate the Indigenous identity of the area into the station’s architecture. Situated at the heart of the Waterloo Metro Quarter, the station occupies a whole city block and opens onto a public square, which will soon be complemented by an over-station development, currently under construction, marking the next phase of the comprehensive urban scheme.

“Public transport performs a critical function in relation to urban fabric and today, more than ever, it is fundamental to the impression and liveability of any city,” said John McAslan, founder of John McAslan + Partners. “In this way we hope that our designs for both Sydney Central and Waterloo stations transcend their immediate function by making the passenger experience as effortless and enjoyable as possible.”