Sydney Fish Market Opens with Mass-Timber Roof and Public Waterfront
In 2026, the Sydney Fish Market, crafted by Danish firm 3XN with BVN serving as the executive architect and Aspect Studios handling landscape design, welcomed its first visitors. The project, awarded in 2017, showcases a striking 200-metre wavelike roof constructed from 407 pyramidal aluminum cassettes and supported by 594 glulam beams, achieving an undulating appearance without any curved components. The structure comprises four levels: a basement for parking, a ground floor for wholesale activities, an upper-ground public market, and a partial top floor housing offices and a cooking school. The design ensures public visibility of the wholesale operations through glass walls, with daily seafood auctions commencing at 4:30 a.m. since 1989, averaging 50 to 55 tonnes of fish sold daily. On its inaugural day, a yellowfin tuna weighing 41.8 kilograms fetched AUD$15,000. The consortium also includes 3XN's innovation division, GXN, which spearheaded sustainability initiatives.
Key facts
- 3XN won the competition in 2017 and designed the Sydney Fish Market.
- The roof is 200 metres long, made of 407 aluminum cassettes and 594 glulam beams.
- The building has four levels: basement parking, ground-floor wholesale, upper-ground public market, and top-floor offices and cooking school.
- Wholesale and public areas are separated but visible through glass walls.
- Daily seafood auctions start at 4:30 a.m., using a reverse bidding system since 1989.
- Approximately 50 to 55 tonnes of fish are sold each day.
- On opening day, a 41.8-kilogram yellowfin tuna sold for AUD$15,000.
- The design includes public terraces and amphitheatre-style stairs along the harbour.
Entities
Artists
- Fred Holt
- Catherine Skinner
Institutions
- 3XN
- BVN
- Aspect Studios
- GXN
- Sydney Fish Market
- Azure Magazine
Locations
- Sydney
- Australia
- Circular Quay