The Sydney Fish Market has been in a state of redevelopment hell for a few years now. We first reported on the expansion plan back in 2016. Then again in 2017. And once more in 2018, when the New South Wales government announced the final design.

And now, this long-awaited fixer-upper has cleared an important hurdle: the Berejiklian government has given its approval for the redevelopment’s final plans.

It’s part of the Planning System Acceleration Program, which fast-tracks state-led construction projects to create jobs and aid economic recovery amid the fallout of Covid-19. Which is great news for the Fish Market.

We think you might like Access. For $12 a month, join our membership program to stay in the know.

SIGN UP

The design of the largest seafood market in the Southern hemisphere – which features a cross-hatched timber and aluminium roof that resembles fish scales and appears to float over the building like a canopy – is by Danish architecture firm 3XN, in association with Sydney firms BVN and Aspect Studios.

It’ll be built next to the current site (which it's been at since 1966) and over the water of Blackwattle Bay, and will feature a public foreshore promenade wrapping around the main artery of a four-storey market hall. There will be more than 4700-square-metres of new public space, a new ferry wharf, as well as additional dining options and improved access and public transport. The centrepiece will be a set of amphitheatre steps connecting the Blackwattle Bay plazas to the public market.

Inside, expect restaurants, cafes, bars and food retailers. The popular Sydney Seafood School will be expanded, and an improved ground-floor platform to view the early-morning wholesale seafood auction will give punters a better understanding of the seafood supply chain. State-of-the-art technology will be installed for the fishmongers.

Visitor numbers to the market are expected to double over the next 10 years, from three million, to six million each year. The government hasn’t confirmed how much the facility will cost, but the ABC suggests it will be $750 million.

Construction on the Sydney Fish Market is expected to begin in August, starting with the demolition of the existing wharves. The whole project is slated for completion in 2024.