Bays West International Design Competition
Dezeen Competitions: The Bays West International Design Competition seeks exciting new proposals to redefine Sydney’s urban space.
The competition is a two-stage process that aims to generate bold, innovative, place-led and deliverable ideas that deliver long-term public value.
This competition is now closed
Organiser: Bays West Delivery Authority (BWDA), in partnership with Government Architect NSW (GANSW)
Competition: Bays West International Design Competition
Judges:
- Abbie Galvin, Government architect, New South Wales (chair)
- Anita Mitchell, chief executive, Bays West Delivery Authority
- Walter Hood, creative director and founder, Hood Design Studio
- Adam Haddow, partner, SJB Architects and board member, Australian Institute of Architects
- Alison Page, designer and founder, Alison Page Design
- Ken Kanofski, advisory board chair, chair of the Sydney Olympic Park Authority, commissioner at the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission, commissioner at Placemaking New South Wales
- Rory Toomey, city architect, Inner West Council
Stage One deadline: 21 August 2026 at 3pm AEST
Winner announcement: yet to be announced
Prizes: no fee is payable for Stage One (expression of interest). Each entrant shortlisted for the Stage Two design competition who submits a compliant scheme will receive a competition fee of AUD $200,000 (excluding GST)
Competition overview
The Bays West Design Competition has been established to generate the ideas that will deliver on defined Government objectives, place principles, and the vision for a new kind of Sydney urbanism.
The outcome of the Stage Two design competition will be an urban framework that establishes the spatial, urban design, public domain, movement, land use, built form, sustainability and infrastructure approach to guide the precinct’s future planning, design and delivery.
The framework must respond to relevant New South Wales Government policy settings, including strategic planning, transport, housing, design, sustainability, heritage and Connecting with Country, while offering ideas that transform this industrial site into a new neighbourhood for Sydney.
The Bays West International Design Competition seeks to identify outstanding design team(s) and design approach(es) capable of shaping Bays West as an exceptional harbourside precinct.
The competition is intended to generate bold, innovative, place-led and deliverable ideas that respond to the precinct’s strategic significance, complex history, infrastructure context and deliver long-term public value.
The Bays West International Design Competition is a two-stage process, involving an open international Stage One (expression of interest) and an invited Stage Two design competition.
The competition has a two-part process
Eligibility and judging criteria
Stage One is open to architectural, urban design, and landscape architecture practitioners, and consortia of professional firms.
International entrants are required to partner with an Australian firm or individual registered with a professional body or eligible to practice as an architect, urban designer or landscape architect in Australia, with an Australian Business Number (ABN).
The BWDA and GANSW are seeking diversity of entrants (both scale and experience) who bring an understanding of place that will deliver the best ideas for a design-led urban framework.
BWDA and GANSW are committed to creating genuine opportunities for practices of all sizes to participate, recognising that innovation and design excellence are not defined by scale.
The Design Advisory Panel will make recommendations across all stages of the competition, for final decision by NSW Government.
The Design Advisory Panel may recommend multiple successful entrants of the Stage Two design competition, with a minimum of one winner.
Successful entrants(s) of the Stage Two design competition will be eligible to participate in Stage Three, which includes having a role in the urban design team delivering the rezoning package and/or the potential to design and document a key public open space and/or building.
How to enter
Entrants can learn how to enter this competition on the website. For enquiries, please contact designcompetition@bays.nsw.gov.au.
Submission deadlines
Stage One – the international expressions of interest closes on 21 August 2026 at 3pm AEST.
Entrants must prepare a response to the Stage One brief, including demonstrating their ability to meet the eligibility criteria, capability statement, team composition, relevant project examples and their intended methodology for the Stage Two design competition.
Stage Two design competition requirements will be provided to shortlisted entrants through the design competition brief.
Following Stage One, shortlisted entrants will be announced in September 2026. The overall successful entrants of the Stage Two design competition will be announced by the NSW Premier in early 2027.
About BWDA
The BWDA is the NSW Government agency responsible for leading the coordinated planning and delivery of the Bays West transformation.
Working in partnership with GANSW and relevant government agencies, BWDA will guide the precinct’s evolution from former industrial and port lands into a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable urban neighbourhood with White Bay Power Station as a cultural and civic anchor.
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