Description:

Darling Quarter is the commercial and recreational precinct at the heart of Darling Harbour, Sydney, offering a range of eateries, entertainment and activities. The site is anchored by two A-grade commercial buildings, both tenanted by Commonwealth Bank of Australia, along with four basement levels that feature an end-of-trip experience for the site’s diverse mix of users.

Within a larger precinct refurbishment, the End of Trip facilities have been upgraded to create a reimagined fitness hub - providing cyclists, runners or walkers with comfortable onsite facilities like showers, changing rooms and secure bike parking. Alongside helping to positively impact on the wellbeing of its community, the space aims to reduce the demand for onsite parking and establish improved connections from the city through to surrounding parklands.

The subterranean space required a bright and optimistic brand overlay, to help welcome new users into the amenity. To help create a space alive with activity, the design of the environmental branding looked to the world of cycling for inspiration. The three major professional road races - the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España - are known together as the ‘Grand Tours’, and these became the key concept for the scheme. Super-graphics were designed to relate to the visual language of cycling, with patterning and colour palettes referencing the athletes’ jerseys. Further graphics and iconography also allude to the different terrains that the races cover – by naming the gruelling mountain peaks and depicting the rolling countryside.

Illuminated signage is provided at key destinations, helping to provide some intuitive wayfinding cues for users and adding an eye-catchng layer of illumination in the underground spaces. Bold graphic statements also provide wayfinding information within the circulation spaces, helping to thread together a series of spaces across multiple floors. The end result is a vibrant and cohesive system that honours the pinnacle of the cycling peleton, whilst creating a thriving playground space for the local community.