Wharf 7 Maritime Heritage Centre
Creating a unique space to store and celebrate Australia’s maritime history.
In 1996, the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) was looking to add an extension to the museum at an adjacent site in Darling Harbour. The building would become the Wharf 7 Maritime Heritage Centre, and would eventually house the thousands of museum items that were being stored offsite.
The APP Group developed a proposal for a 11,000sqm facility that included 2,500sqm of premium water view office spaces. The design used several innovative building techniques typically applied for health and industrial sector developments. After being appointed as project manager, our team also facilitated the acquisition of the adjacent site.
The development was located on a rectangular site that was 30 metres wide by 85 metres in length, and included a 10 metre wide historic wharf used for public events. With this in mind, the design team incorporated a philosophy of open pedestrian flows, visibility, light and access to all floors except for the secured office area. The building itself is an innovative structure built on a massive Raft Slab to overcome significant adverse ground conditions.
The Maritime Heritage Centre currently houses the collections of the Australian National Maritime Museum and Sydney Heritage Fleet, which includes more than 160,000 objects . These include several 18-foot skiffs, Australia’s oldest surviving hydroplane Nautillus II, and the test tank model used to refine the winged keel of Australia II which won the America’s Cup in 1983.
