With construction underway on the 3XN-designed Sydney Fish Market in Australia, the firm has offered an insight into the design of the scheme’s defining roofscape. When completed, the 700,000-square-foot building will be the largest fish market in the southern hemisphere.

The building’s undulating roof is described by 3XN as “an integral aspect of the fish market’s iconic design” as well as being key to its overall sustainability strategy. Shaped to respond to the spatial demands of the market below, the roof is designed to harvest rainwater for reuse, protect retail spaces from the sun, and filter daylight through openings on the rooftop.

The shape of the roof was informed by the site’s prevailing winds, allowing the extraction of hot air while protecting users from southerly winds. Made from timber and aluminum, the roof is also designed to be as permeable as possible, minimizing the need for air conditioning while also deflecting direct sunlight.

“The geometry of the Sydney Fish Market roof is developed through flow analysis and particle simulations to meet the contextual challenges a humid subtropical climate offers,” the design team explains in their latest update. 

“The roof is one of the building's most important sustainability features providing daylighting, shading, and natural ventilation. The geometry also allows it to produce its own energy by incorporating photovoltaic cells, rainwater collection, and recycling.”

When completed in 2024, the market will host a seafood cooking school, restaurants, bars, new public wharves, a waterfront promenade, and a new ferry stop. Designed in collaboration with local architect BVN, GXN Innovation, and landscape architect Aspect Studios, the project will also provide improved facilities for the city's fishers and fishmongers, as the original center was beginning to show signs of aging.

The update on the scheme comes weeks after 3XN’s upcycled Quay Quarter Tower, also in Sydney, was named the World Building of the Year at the 2022 World Architecture Festival. The firm has also recently debuted an artistic mixed-use design for Paris’ La Défense business district.