ICC Sydney

Convention and exhibition buildings have a tendency to be introverted — giant windowless spaces that feel disconnected from the cities where they reside. Teaming up with Hassell, Populous wanted to change that, creating a building where the lines between outside and inside are blurred. Located on the beautiful waterfront of Sydney’s Darling Harbour, ICC Sydney includes three world-class venues, which form a cohesive overall precinct, one that has revitalised the area and turned it into a vibrant new destination for visitors and locals alike.

Set within Tumbalong Park, the ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre provides 35,000 square metres of floor space, making it the largest exhibition space in Australia. The impact of the immense scale of the building has been dramatically reduced by integrating it within the terraced park. Exhibition meeting room pods and break-out spaces at the front of the building connect and engage directly with the park. Taking advantage of Sydney’s weather and natural beauty, the 5,000-square-metre rooftop Event Deck is an outdoor extension of the ICC Exhibition, with paved and landscaped areas, as well as a large lounge and bar area which offers spectacular views of the city. 

ICC Sydney Convention Centre faces onto Cockle Bay in Darling Harbour, with a sparkling glass facade that responds to the shimmering water. It can accommodate up to three conventions at the same time, thanks to enormous back of house infrastructure, including a commercial kitchen that also serves the Exhibition building. Breaking with convention, the ballroom, which would usually be placed in the basement, occupies the top floor, giving guests expansive views of the Sydney skyline across the harbour. It also includes more than 70 meeting rooms, two theatres, a multipurpose event space, media centre, VIP area and business suite. 

Designed to enrich the live experience, ICC Sydney Theatre features a fan-shaped seating layout that holds 8,000 people, with standing room for another 1,000. A layered mesh facade wraps the entire volume of the auditorium, with the bright red foyer glowing from within, giving the venue an iconic and memorable appearance. 

Since ICC Sydney opened, the venue has hosted major conferences and festivals, including RTX Sydney, the World Chambers Congress and Oz Comic-Con. Some of the biggest names in pop and rock have brought their tours to the centre too, from Ariana Grande, Cher and Kylie Minogue, to The 1975 and The Script. In its second year of operation, delegates attending events at ICC Sydney generated A$820 million in direct expenditure. New South Wales Premier, Gladys Berejiklian said “ICC Sydney is predicted to inject A$5 Billion into NSW’s economy over the next 25 years.”