Daytime, clear sky: the museum's white stepped roofs seen across Darling Harbour, with the replica ship HMB Endeavour at the wharf in front and apartment towers behind.

Australian National Maritime Museum

2 Murray Street, Darling Harbour

Philip Cox with Richardson Taylor & Partners. 1986 to 1991. Contemporary.

Size
Over 25 m on the west side, according to Wikipedia. Length not found; the drawing’s length and lower roofs are estimated from a photograph
Material
White corrugated metal roof, dark glazing, a bronze Welcome Wall on the north side
Status
A national museum, open to the public

The museum was designed for the 1988 Australian Bicentennial as part of the redevelopment of Darling Harbour, which began in 1984. It missed that date and a later one of September 1989. Wikipedia has construction finishing on 17 November 1989 and the building passing to the federal government in October 1990, while the Dictionary of Sydney gives the construction dates as 1986 to 1991. It opened on 30 November 1991. The cost rose to $70 million, of which the Commonwealth paid $30 million and New South Wales $40 million.

Wikipedia’s article on Philip Cox credits the design to Michael Rayner, who joined the firm in 1980. Its form has been described in several ways. The Dictionary of Sydney says the high walls and diving roof forms were designed to hold the masts of boats shown inside. Wikipedia describes billowing sails, and Architecture Australia a wave-like roof stepping down to the water’s edge.

The roof is at its highest on the west side and drops well away to the east. Later additions on the wharf include the Waterfront Pavilion by FJMT, a tube propped above the deck, with a turret whose projectors can throw images onto the original roof.

Sources

  1. Australian National Maritime Museum, Wikipedia
  2. Philip Cox, Wikipedia
  3. Australian National Maritime Museum, Dictionary of Sydney
  4. In shipshape: The Waterfront Pavilion, Architecture Australia
  5. Plan your visit, Australian National Maritime Museum