Property development group Aqualand is taking part of North Sydney’s rapid transformation into one of the harbour city’s most sought-after new residential lifestyle precincts, as works progress on the company’s AURA by Aqualand project.

Located at 168 Walker Street, the $1B mixed-use residential development is designed by award-winning architects Woods Bagot and Richards Stanisich, and features 386 luxury apartments above an extensive retail precinct.

Currently under construction, the project’s structure is now visible, with the six-level basement carpark complete, while practical completion is expected by mid-2024.

AURA by Aqualand is perfectly positioned to contribute to the reactivation of the North Sydney CBD as a premier residential destination, courtesy of its location on the doorstep of North Sydney Council’s Ward Street Precinct masterplan, at the northern end of the CBD.

The Ward Street Precinct is bounded by Miller, McLaren, Walker and Berry Streets, and proposes to replace the Council managed Ward Street car park with new activated plazas and a civic hub featuring social and cultural facilities within the podium of a new commercial tower on Berry Street.

This will bring the community, students and more visitors to the CBD and support activities after work hours, transforming the North Sydney CBD into a more vibrant and attractive destination.

Key to the future precinct’s vision is a series of activated laneways that will connect Miller Street to two new plazas, while Ward Street will be pedestrianised and linked to the recently named Faith Bandler Place, completing part of the north-south laneway network running from St. Leonards Park to the North Sydney train station.

This pedestrian-friendly laneway and café culture, which promotes connectivity within the town centre, has been reflected in the design of AURA by Aqualand, according to Aqualand’s Project Director, Andrew Cooper.

“At AURA by Aqualand, our design takes into account the natural walkability of North Sydney by extending the pedestrian desire lines from the Ward Street Precinct through the site, directly contributing to the future civic and green spine outlined in North Sydney Council’s urban place strategy,” explained Mr Cooper.

“This will see a network of new laneways running between North Sydney’s buildings, creating enticing pockets filled with lively cafés, bars and walking trails that add to the evolving cultural ecosystem of the area.

“Importantly, this pedestrian link will run from Lavender Bay, adjacent to our BLUE at Lavender Bay project, all the way through North Sydney and alongside the AURA by Aqualand site, so we’re excited to be supporting this future through our developments.

“As government and commercial investment unfolds in the coming years, with 19 key projects in the area and the addition of more than 17,000sqm of new parks and plazas, it represents a new era for North Sydney, and we’re very fortunate that AURA by Aqualand is poised to play such a key role.”