Seven international and local architect teams will take part in a competitive design process for a landmark development at Sydney’s Circular Quay.

Australia’s BVN and Hassell will take on US firms Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and HOK, as well as UK-born practices Foster and Partners and David Chipperfield Architects in a competition to design a new commercial tower and urban precinct at the western end of Circular Quay.

Lendlease owns the property, which encompasses 174-182 George Street and 33-35 Pitt Street, and says it will be subject to two separate design competitions: one for the urban design of the site and another for a 248 metre commercial tower.

The project is one in a spate of new developments planned, underway or completed at Circular Quay. It will sit within the overall Alfred, Pitt, Dally & George street block and directly between the recently approved 57-storey luxury residential tower at 1 Alfred Street, the just-completed 200 George Street, and a new 110-metre hotel tower designed by Australia’s Crone and Japanese studio Kengo Kuma and Associates.

The Lendlease tower will be situated between 200 George (bottom left) 1 Alfred (top left) and the Wanda Vista Hotel (middle). It is part of the redevelopment of the Alfred, Pitt, Dally & George street block and will be linked to neighbouring buildings by pedestrian links and through passages. Image: Crone

Further east the AMP Capital precinct is set to undergo a $1billion overhaul which will include a massive 200-metre-high stacked tower at 50 Bridge Street designed by Danish architects, 3XN and a number of other projects designed by Australia’s JPW, Make Architecture, Silvester Fuller, SJB and Carterwilliamson.

Left: The approved 49-story high rise, Quay Quarter Tower will be situated at 50 Bridge Street. It was designed by 3XN and BVN and will be defined by a series of five shifting glass volumes that are stacked irregularly upon each other, forming various overhangs and exterior terraces.

Below: 2-10 Lotus Street designed by Make Architecture (left) and 16-20 Lotus Street by Silvester Fuller will sit in front of 3XN’s Quay Quarter tower. Image: AMP Capital

Redevelopment plans for The Coca Cola Amatil building at the eastern end of Circular Quay have also resurfaced after a few tumultuous years involving the building’s ownership, and plans are also well underway to upgrade the historic Cambells Stores to the Quay’s north west.

The competition for Lendlease building and urban precinct will be run in accordance to the City of Sydney's Competitive Design Policy and a decision is expected around mid- to late-December.

Nathan Johnson

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