First Look At Sydney’s New $150M Town Hall Square, With Native Trees, Water Features And Event Space

Oh, Town Hall Square. Fondly known as the home of pigeons, loitering teenagers and those questionable red plastic benches that could probably be declared a biohazard. While it may have once been an impressive patch of civic design, these days it mostly reeks of neglect—but not for much longer.

After more than 40 years of planning and property acquisitions, the City of Sydney has released the first designs for a new public square opposite Sydney Town Hall. Backed by a $150 million budget, the project will replace seven CBD buildings with a sprawling, tree-lined plaza designed for everything from lunchtime catch-ups to markets, concerts and major sporting celebrations.

The new renders offer the clearest look yet at the long-promised square, revealing native trees, water features, circular paving and plenty of places to pull up a chair. The plans will soon be opened for community feedback, ahead of demolition commencing in 2028 and the square’s anticipated completion in 2031.

Here’s everything you need to know.

In a hurry? Skip to:

• Why Sydney Is Building A New Town Hall Square
• What The New Town Hall Square Will Look Like
• Which Buildings Will Be Demolished?
• When Will Town Hall Square Open?
• How Can You Provide Feedback?

Why Sydney Is Building A New Town Hall Square

Plans for a civic square opposite Sydney Town Hall have circulated since the 19th century, but the current proposal began taking shape in the 1980s. The City of Sydney purchased its first property within the block in 1985 and has gradually acquired almost the entire site over the decades since.

The location is one of Sydney’s busiest transport precincts, with close to 200,000 people passing through the surrounding train, metro, bus and light rail connections each day. Rather than remaining somewhere commuters simply rush through, the council wants to turn it into a destination where people can meet, sit, attend events and spend more time in the CBD.

The project will also connect Town Hall more directly with Sydney Square and George Street, while opening up clearer views of the area’s historic sandstone buildings.

What The New Town Hall Square Will Look Like

The new square will occupy the block framed by George, Park and Pitt Streets, directly opposite Sydney Town Hall.

Designed by architecture studio JPW with landscape architects ASPECT Studios, the proposed plaza will offer more than 4,000 square metres of accessible public space. A curved arrangement of 30 Australian native trees will wrap around its edges, creating shade without closing off the centre of the square.

Water will move through parts of the plaza to help reduce heat, while circular paving patterns will visually tie the open space together. A combination of fixed seating, movable chairs and tables will allow visitors to settle in without the square feeling overly structured.

The plans include:

• A grove of 30 native Australian trees
• Water features intended to help cool the space
• Fixed benches and movable tables and chairs
• Circular paving across the plaza
• Lighting throughout the trees and surrounding public areas
• Space and supporting infrastructure for markets and festivals
• Capacity for concerts, cultural programs and civic celebrations
• Live sites for major sporting events
• Improved pedestrian links through the Town Hall precinct

The planting has also been designed to respond to the seasons, with thicker foliage providing summer shade and more sunlight reaching the square as the canopy changes during the cooler months.

The tree canopy will be illuminated after dark, helping the plaza remain welcoming and usable into the evening.

Which Buildings Will Be Demolished?

Delivering the square requires the removal of seven existing buildings, including the prominent Woolworths supermarket at the corner of George and Park Streets.

The City of Sydney acquired six of the required properties between 1985 and 2019. It is still working to secure the final George Street property, currently home to Foot Locker.

Most businesses operating within the affected buildings are expected to move elsewhere before demolition begins. The council has said the buildings do not carry heritage protections, arguing that removing them will also improve views towards Sydney Town Hall, the Queen Victoria Building, St Andrew’s Cathedral and Pitt Street Uniting Church.

Unsurprisingly, the plan has divided opinion. Critics have raised concerns about losing a heavily used supermarket and questioned whether $150 million should be directed towards a new civic plaza. The Woolworths store alone reportedly welcomes around 6.5 million customers each year, making it the supermarket chain’s busiest Australian location.

The City of Sydney maintains that retaining and modernising the ageing commercial buildings would require an even greater investment. It expects the square to support the surrounding economy by drawing more people into the CBD and creating a major new venue for public events.

When Will Town Hall Square Open?

Demolition is scheduled to begin in 2028, with the completed square currently slated to open in 2031.

Before then, the City of Sydney will lodge a development application covering the proposed design. A separate public-domain upgrade between Sydney Town Hall and St Andrew’s Cathedral is expected to begin in 2027, delivering new paving, lighting and seating around the existing Sydney Square.

The current timeline is:

• 2026: Development application and community feedback
• 2027: Work begins around Sydney Square and St Andrew’s Cathedral
• 2028: Demolition begins across the Town Hall Square site
• 2031: New square scheduled for completion

The City of Sydney has allocated $150 million to the project, covering its design, demolition and construction.

How Can You Provide Feedback?

The development application is expected to be lodged in the coming months and placed on public exhibition, allowing Sydneysiders to review the plans and submit feedback.

The Central Sydney Planning Committee will assess and determine the application after the consultation period.

A First Nations name drawn from a local Aboriginal word is also planned for the square. Further work will explore how First Nations stories, practices and cultural programs can be incorporated into the space beyond its name.

It has taken decades of discussion, property purchases and shifting timelines to reach this point, but the newly released designs suggest Sydney may finally be on its way to gaining the major civic square it has long been promised.

Image credit: City Of Sydney | Supplied