Credit: Courtesy of 3XN

We place people at the centre of any architectural response, with an emphasis on place-making to foster a strong sense of community.
– Kim Nielson, 3XN founding partner

Danish architecture firm 3XN have pulled back the curtain on their designs for the Blackwattle Bay fish market in Sydney, Australia.

Described by the company’s founder, Kim Nielson, as a future "iconic destination" for the country, the 3.6-hectare waterfront emporium and public attraction will feature a number of open-air restaurants as well as customisable modular spaces for social events and performances.

The estimated AU$250m (US$182.1m, €158.7m, £138.6m) complex, which was commissioned in 2017 by UrbanGrowth NSW – one of the Australian government’s development initiatives – will be co-implemented by design studio BVN and landscape architects Aspect Studios.

WallnerWeiss will serve as the venue’s art installation advisers.

In a statement, UrbanGrowth explained that the project was contrived to be "dynamic, sustainable, and sympathetic to the local area".

Nielson explained: "This building will be many things when it is done: a working fish market, an amenity for the city, a cultural destination, an urban connector, and an inspiring icon along the world-renowned Sydney Harbour."

Construction on the project – which could open in 2023 – is slated to begin next year.