Two out of three towers designed for Barangaroo by Renzo Piano Building Workshop have been recommended for approval.

This week, the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment pledged their support for two-thirds of the One Sydney Harbour luxury apartment project near Sydney’s Crown Casino Tower. Developer Lendlease has put a hold on the approval process for the third tower, R5, as a result of community feedback to the designs.

Pritzker Prize-winning architecture practice Renzo Piano released an updated set of designs for the full cluster of towers in September last year. According to plans, R4A will be 250 metres tall and contain 360 apartments; R4B will be 210 metres tall and contain 297 apartments; and R5 will be 106 metres tall and contain 151 apartments.

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The towers will have a slender, triangular footprint, oriented to enhance view lines towards Sydney’s landmarks and to optimise thermal control. An operable opening for wintergardens will also be incorporated into the upper levels of each tower, breaking up the solidity of the crystalline façades and further integrating with natural light and ventilation.

A statement from the architect says that the designs were inspired by Sydney Harbour and its “constant kaleidoscopic motion of colour and sparkle”.

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“For one Sydney Harbour, the objective is to design a [trio of] buildings with a gentle presence in the cityscape and in dialogue with the harbour waters and the Barangaroo waterfront.

“The residential towers have been conceived as ‘crystals’, elegantly skinned with highly transparent glass façades.

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“Looking up, the proposed six kinetic north-, west- and east-facing façades, across the three buildings, play with the light, alluring from every angle. The brightness of the sky will be captured, refracting the glittery Sydney light, right to the top of the buildings where the penthouse apartments and gardens merge into the sky.”

It is now up to the Planning Assessment Commission to decide on final approval for the two One Sydney Harbour towers. The Department of Planning and Environment will assess plans for the third tower once they are ready for submission.