SACRED SPACES: Leading London architects to design Catholic cathedral and precinct near Sydney, Australia
A leading London-based architecture practice has been appointed to design a Catholic cathedral and precinct near Sydney, Australia by a local diocese following an international competition.
Náill McLaughlin Architects, led by 2026 RIBA Gold Medal recipient Niall McLaughlin, will transform 7.7ha of land in the city’s Waitara suburb into a spiritual and civic destination.
The announcement of the Cathedral Precinct Project marks 40 years since the creation of the Diocese of Broken Bay, which covers around 2,800sq km of land on Australia’s eastern coast and serves around 250,000 catholics.
Australian archbishop Randazzo, who led the international competition for the project, said the scheme will be a “home for faith, a place for community, and a commitment to the faithful of today and for future generations”.
He added that the diocese’s vision for the scheme is to represent a “visible and living heart for diocesan life, where worship, formation, pastoral care, outreach, and administration come together in service of commission, community, and the common good”.
An image of the proposals shows a sandstone-faced cathedral building with two spires, fronting onto a forecourt flanked by two buildings forming part of a wider education campus within the precinct.
Local practice Hayball, who has been appointed as executive architect, will work alongside NMLA to realise the project, which includes a new cathedral and forecourt with a cafe and bookshop, a pastoral centre, a parish hall, a new home for social service and welfare organisation Catholic Care, residences for the bishop and clergy, and diocesan offices.
The cathedral will be timber framed with the wider scheme prioritising the use of sustainable materials inspired by the local landscape.
McLaughlin, who delivered a speech about the project on Tuesday (14th) evening at the Rothwell Public Lecture series at the University of Sydney, said the project would “help create an enduring spiritual, civic, and cultural precinct that places the faithful at its centre.”
The team says that The Cathedral Precinct Project will “establish an integrated centre of Catholic life in the region and is poised to become a distinctive local landmark and a spiritual focal point for the parishes of the Northern Beaches, Central Coast, and North Shore.
“Key to the project vision is the creation of a lifelong journey for congregants: from Baptism through to early learning, primary, and secondary education – ensuring the Cathedral is a living centre that serves all ages of its community.
“The design highlights responsible, sustainable materials that complement the natural setting, in keeping with Pope Francis’s call to care for our common home.
“Generous public spaces will embed the site within the neighbourhood and welcome the community – creating a place that prioritises people and permeability.”
The project is now set to move forward through planning approval stages and fundraising processes which are expected to determine future construction timelines.
Image: Níall McLaughlin Architects
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