It has taken five years and nearly a billion dollars, but Sydney’s new fish market — anchored by one of the largest timber‑hybrid roofs ever built — will open its doors next Monday, January 19, “just in time” for the Australia Day long weekend and the Lunar New Year.
Sitting on the edge of Blackwattle Bay, southwest of the CBD, the new market replaces the ageing Pyrmont facility with a purpose‑built structure oriented directly to the harbour. It is the first major piece of the wider Blackwattle Bay renewal, where former industrial land is being reshaped into a continuous public waterfront.
At the heart of the project is the vast floating canopy — a sweeping timber‑and‑aluminium roof that rises and dips across the site, creating a sheltered field rather than a sealed hall. Engineered from 594 glulam beams and 407 prefabricated roof cassettes, some stretching up to 32 metres, the structure is one of the most ambitious engineered‑timber systems ever attempted in Australia.
Timber is left exposed throughout the underside, with the rhythm of beams and cassettes forming a warm, tactile ceiling that filters daylight through perimeter openings. The result is a constantly shifting play of light across the market floor — a deliberate move by 3XN to create a building that feels open, breathable and tuned to the harbour climate.
Dubbed “timber engineering on steroids,” all elements were fabricated in northern Italy and shipped to Sydney in oversized sections. The system combines 1,800 cubic metres of spruce glulam with 50 tonnes of steel, assembled from more than 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’s Jason Ross at the World Conference on Timber Engineering last year. “We transported 594 glulam parts in 160 packages inside the vessel’s hold — not in containers — with the longest piece measuring 32.7 metres.”
For Paolo Aschieri of Theca Timber, the roof’s performance is as impressive as its scale. “The shape uses harbour winds to extract warm air and protect workers from southerly gusts,” he also told Wood Central. “It’s porous where it needs to be, solid where it must be, and reduces the need for mechanical cooling.” Solar panels integrated into the canopy will generate up to 5% of the building’s daily energy consumption, while the modular system was chosen to minimise waste and improve on‑site safety.
Beneath the canopy, the market operates as a semi‑open hall. Stalls, service areas and circulation routes are arranged to maintain clear separation between public and working zones, with long sightlines offering glimpses into auction and handling areas without disrupting operations. Movement is guided by ramps, bridges and stepped seating rising from the ground‑level plaza, forming a natural transition between the interior and the waterfront.
In total, more than 6,000 square metres of new public space now extend along the foreshore. A continuous promenade links Blackwattle Bay to the broader harbour walk stretching from Rozelle Bay to Woolloomooloo. Landscaped edges manage stormwater through biofiltration beds and wetland planting, while marine infrastructure — including Seabin units, seawall habitat tiles and submerged habitat structures — supports ecological conditions within the bay.
Premier Chris Minns described the building as “a magnificent addition to Sydney’s harbour foreshore,” noting that the market is expected to attract six million visitors annually. More than $600 million in contracts were awarded to NSW suppliers, with construction generating 700 jobs and supporting 700 ongoing roles.
Retail space will double the existing market, offering seafood traders, specialty food retailers and a mix of casual and premium dining options. “We’re excited to see our retailers’ impressive fit‑outs come to life,” said Sydney Fish Market CEO Daniel Jarosch. “Sydneysiders will enjoy a last hurrah at the existing market over the festive season while we prepare for a seamless transition to our outstanding new home.”
