Sydney, New York, and Kobe reimagine waterfronts with architecture and resilience

Monocle profiles three cities transforming their shorelines. In Sydney, the new Sydney Fish Market opened in January 2026 on Blackwattle Bay, designed by 3XN with BVN Architecture and Aspect Studios. The largest fish market in the southern hemisphere replaces a 1966 structure and features a wave-like roof, public promenades, and visible back-of-house operations. In New York, the $1.45bn East Side Coastal Resiliency project (the Big U), masterplanned by Bjarke Ingels Group and One Architecture and Urbanism, is set for completion in 2027. It includes a 16km stretch of park and flood protections along lower Manhattan's East River, with East River Park as its centerpiece. In Kobe, architect Tomohiro Hata transformed the tip of No 2 Pier into Tottei Green Hill, a public space with a grassy plaza, an 11-metre-high hill, and an outdoor theatre inspired by the Teatro Antico di Taormina. The project uses moisture-retaining lightweight soil and bamboo grass to withstand seaside conditions.