3XN Transforms Industrial Waterfronts into Public Spaces

Waterfront architecture is increasingly expected to serve social, economic, and environmental functions, especially in older cities. Audun Opdal, senior partner and head of design at Copenhagen-based firm 3XN, discusses two projects that reflect this trend.

The Sydney Fish Market and Toronto’s Aqualuna both transform former industrial sites into spaces that balance public access with commercial or residential uses. Opdal emphasizes the importance of understanding each site’s history while adapting it for contemporary needs.

Balancing Public Access and Private Development

In Sydney, 3XN preserved the market’s working functions while creating a 24/7 accessible waterfront promenade. “You don’t even have to buy anything to use the space,” Opdal notes, highlighting its civic role. At Aqualuna, the firm placed a community center on the waterfront, integrating it into a high-value residential building.

Opdal explains that in Toronto, the design challenged local height restrictions to ensure sunlight reaches the promenade. “So today, the building creates this valley that brings sunlight down to the promenade, which, if we just did the zoning, would have been blocked,” he says.

Regulatory and Cultural Influences

Regulatory frameworks differ significantly between the two cities. Sydney’s harbor front is world-famous for its public life, a cultural expectation baked into the project. In contrast, Toronto’s waterfront is primarily residential, requiring the creation of a new working and living community from scratch.

Toronto’s harbor front design connects most of the waterfront, providing a clear framework for projects like Aqualuna. However, the location of the community center was not specified in the brief, requiring negotiation with the city and client to find the optimal placement.

For residents in both cities, these projects represent more than architectural achievements. In Sydney, the revitalized fish market expands the harbor’s public reach, while in Toronto, Aqualuna helps bridge the gap between the city and its lakefront, historically separated by infrastructure like the Gardiner Expressway.

Opdal notes that Toronto’s development relies heavily on infrastructure. “Projects like Aqualuna are trying to create a much more locally rooted community,” he says, addressing the city’s need for more public and civic functions at its lakefront.

Infrastructure and Community Development

In Toronto, infrastructure plays a key role in shaping development. The city’s pattern of tall buildings near subway stations reflects the limitations of its transit system. The Gardiner Expressway has historically separated the inner city from the water, and projects like Aqualuna aim to create locally rooted communities, bringing residents to the lakefront.

Anchoring Waterfront Revitalization

The Sydney Fish Market expands the harbor’s public reach, attracting visitors and opening up development on its former site. In Toronto, Aqualuna focuses on building a community in a previously undeveloped area, starting from scratch. The project’s community center, strategically placed on the waterfront, integrates public functions into a high-value residential building, supporting a sense of local community.