Greenwich Point Wharf, Sydney
Clear connections
Across these four new Sydney wharves, the design focus is on what our Transport team calls “the last 100 metres” of the journey: the point where passengers leave the street and start working their way down to the ferry.
Along Sydney Harbour’s complex foreshore, that can mean addressing significant level changes and keeping wayfinding clear. New lifts, re-graded paths and intuitively located stairs and landings have been designed into these compact sites, with clear transition spaces that guide people from bus stop, footpath or kiss-and-ride drop-off zone to the pontoon.
“At South Mosman and Greenwich Point wharves, we had limited foreshore space and steep changes in elevation between the water and the local street,” says Anderson Trieu, Associate at Architectus.
“We added lifts and upgraded the existing stairs to make access easier for all users, all the while making sure these new features did not dominate or detract from the foreshore’s natural character and appearance.”
Accessibility is a priority in all our wharf project work. The upgraded South Mosman wharf now provides a continuous, sheltered path of travel from the street to the pontoon via new covered walkways, a stairway and a lift.
At Double Bay and Greenwich Point, generous circulation zones, seating in waiting areas and weather-protected shelters support passengers who may need rest points. Integrated lighting and wayfinding improve safety and legibility after dark, while carefully engineered gangways perform safely in changing tides.
North Sydney Wharf
Network identity
Adopting a unified design language establishes a recognisable identity for the Sydney Ferries network, enhancing cohesion and intuitive wayfinding.
Group GSA’s earlier work for the Transport Access Program, Stage 1 (TAP1) defined the familiar pontoon, gangway and jetty design language we now see at the upgraded wharves.
Architectus has built on these principles for TAP2 and TAP3, and extended the approach landside with modular shelter bays, balustrades, seating and lighting that complements the waterside architecture.
“Whether you’re getting on along the Parramatta River or at the lower North Shore, it should always feel like you’re part of the same network,” says Anderson.
“Using the same features across the system makes maintenance easier over time, improves accessibility and helps passengers transit more smoothly.”
South Mosman Wharf, Sydney
A national approach
This philosophy has also guided Architectus’ work on ferry infrastructure in Queensland and Western Australia.
In Brisbane’s fast-growing bayside and island communities, Architectus has helped upgrade wharves at locations including the South Moreton Bay Islands Ferry Terminals and Redland Bay. Exposed, tidal environments demand robust materials and accessible gangways, while the wharves must serve as everyday civic gateways for residents who rely on ferries as their primary mode of transport.
In Perth, members of our team have contributed to projects at key river and coastal wharf locations – including Mends Street, Elizabeth Quay, Fremantle Harbour, Hillarys Boat Harbour and Thomsons Bay on Rottnest Island – in previous roles. Their local experience informs our approach to balancing maritime engineering requirements with public realm design, so that wharves offer shaded, comfortable waiting zones and intuitive links to promenades, cycle paths and surrounding open spaces.
Across Australia, Architectus utilises a multidisciplinary team on each ferry wharf project.
The result? A growing network of ferry wharves that does more than move people from A to B; they act as neighbourhood gateways, public spaces and valuable pieces of civic infrastructure that entice more people to choose public transport more often.
