First look inside ‘tree’ sculptures to heal Barangaroo’s scar

Built in the shadow of Barangaroo’s “scar”, 13 huge tree sculptures are taking shape in the Cutaway as construction on the revamped event space nears completion.

Carved into the headland, the subterranean space next to the imposing sandstone wall below Barangaroo Reserve opened 10 years ago as a concrete cavern with little design flair.

Now construction of the new $100 million fitout has hit the 85 per cent mark, and event such as concerts, art exhibitions, gala dinners and fashion shows are to begin next year.

“[The sandstone] is a really beautiful thing in a way, but it’s also a scar – we would never do that now, cut a headland away for shipping terminals,” lead architect Richard Francis-Jones of FJC Studio said.

“There was an idea of some kind of repair and mending of the wound that is left by that … taking away from the grid of columns and concrete and change it into an organic, natural space.”

Based on the Port Jackson fig, the sculptures have a practical application as well. They hide the less attractive parts of an event space such as rigging equipment and lights, and the timber absorbs reverberation to improve acoustics for loud concerts and quieter theatre events.

The design, which includes shell-like shapes and curved forms of a giba-gunya, or rock shelter, is a collaboration with First Nations designers Shannon Foster and Jake Nash.

First opened to the public in 2015, the cutaway has been completely redesigned and refurbished.

“The new and improved Cutaway is set to become the beating heart of Barangaroo, drawing crowds from far and wide and providing a major boost to the local precinct and businesses,” Lands and Property Minister Steve Kamper said.

“Delivering this new unique venue will ensure Barangaroo is a must-visit destination. Once completed, it will be another iconic institution set on Sydney’s harbour, hosting a diverse range of events, that will really assist in unlocking the potential of the precinct.”

The project hasn’t been without controversy. There were once plans to build a dedicated Indigenous cultural centre in the space, which were abandoned in 2021.

In 2022, the Herald revealed the Coalition government scrapped the idea after former prime minister Paul Keating made a private pitch for a multi-use space inspired by the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.

Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council chief executive officer Nathan Moran told the Herald in 2023 the decision was “sad” and the Cutaway was “meant for us”.

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