It has taken five years and nearly a billion dollars, but Sydney’s new fish market – with its enormous timber hybrid roof – has finally reached practical completion. On Thursday, November 13, Multiplix handed the keys to Premier Chris Minns, marking the completion of one of the city’s most ambitious construction projects in decades. Wood Central understands that the new markets will undergo final fitouts before opening on January 19—just in time for the Australia Day long weekend, Lunar New Year, and an expected six million visitors per year.
“Today’s milestone is an opportunity to reflect on all the hard work that has gone into completing this magnificent building on Sydney’s harbour foreshore,” Premier Minns said. “From today, the Sydney Fish Market Pty Ltd will take custodianship of the building and get it ready to open to the public on 19 January 2026.”
Dubbed “engineering on steroids,” the Fish Market’s massive timber roof has drawn international attention. Designed by Danish architects 3XN, in collaboration with BVN and Aspect Studios, and fabricated in northern Italy, the canopy spans 230 metres. Crews installed 594 beams to support more than 466 fish‑scale cassettes, assembled from 700 timber and 1,000 steel elements.
“This is one of the most complicated parts of the project,” said Gianlugui Traetta of Rubner Timber Engineering, who spoke exclusively to Wood Central earlier this year. “We shipped 594 glulam parts in 160 packages inside the vessel’s hold, not in containers, with the longest piece 32.7 metres—far larger than the 12‑metre maximum size of a container. After eight weeks of transit, the timber arrived at Glebe, where it was unloaded and barged directly to the site’s harbourside entry.”
For Paolo Aschieri, director of Theca Timber, who worked with Rubner to install the roof onsite, the design is as functional as it is striking. “The roof has a unique shape that uses the winds to extract warm air and protect workers from the southerly winds,” he told Wood Central. “The canopy is a blend of wood and aluminium, designed to be outwardly as porous as possible while blocking direct sunlight and minimising the need for building cooling.”
The NSW government said the modular system was chosen to minimise waste and improve safety. Solar panels integrated into the roof will generate up to five per cent of the building’s daily energy consumption. “Glulam was selected for its durability, resilience, and aesthetic appeal, adding a natural finish to the project,” the government noted.
“It is incredibly exciting to have reached practical completion of the building and for work to ramp up on all the finishing touches and retail fit-outs ahead of opening next year,” said Steve Kamper, Minister for Lands and Property. “The new Sydney Fish Market will be more than just a food and retail precinct—it will stand as a testament to sustainability and cultural connection. It will become a truly iconic destination on the western side of the Harbour Bridge, as the Opera House is to the east.”
The project has also been a boon for local industry. More than $600 million in contracts were awarded to NSW suppliers, including 500 marine piles from SMC Marine in Balmain, 30,000 cubic metres of concrete from Traino in Pyrmont, and 6,000 tonnes of reinforcement from Active Steel in Western Sydney.
Construction generated more than 700 jobs and will sustain 700 ongoing roles. Retail space will double compared to the existing market, offering a mix of seafood traders, specialty food retailers, and dining options ranging from takeaway to premium waterfront restaurants. “We’re excited to see our retailers’ impressive fit-outs come to life ahead of opening early in the new year,” said Sydney Fish Market chief executive Daniel Jarosch. “Sydneysiders will enjoy a last hurrah at the existing fish market over the busy festive season, while we work behind the scenes for a seamless transition to our outstanding new home.”
- To learn more about the Sydney Fish Markets, including it’s roof cassette, which can use harbour breezes to self cool, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.
