North Sydney Olympic Pool

The North Sydney 50m Olympic Pool was constructed in 1935 and since its construction has undergone numerous upgrades and refurbishments.

This iconic Pool complex and its associated facilities were severely affected by aging and damaged structures and Aquatic infrastructure which was in dire need of a significant upgrade to preserve the existing heritage fabric for the long term as well as to meet modern user requirements.

North Sydney Council engaged BHA to undertake the design and documentation for the redevelopment and augmentation of the North Sydney Olympic Pool after successful completion of the masterplan of the Centre which includes a range of upgrades to improve the facility. These include:

• New 50 Olympic pool with full competition waterpolo facilities
• New external Children’s waterplay / splash deck area
• Major improvement of n New change facilities including Family Change and accessible Change facilities
• Reconstruction of the grandstand to include new Gym and gym / health club facilities
• Replacement and improvement of the energy and aquatics systems for high performance and energy and water efficiency
• Re-planning the pedestrian access / movement systems throughout the facility.
• New 25m Pool and indoor warm water therapy pool and spa in new Pool Hall with associated change and sauna, spa facilities
• Expanded cafe / dining areas to capture views to the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

The North Sydney Olympic Pool Project commenced with a comprehensive review of the most successful aquatic centres in Australia, in order to determine the most effective and user focussed strategies for the design of a multi purpose aquatic and fitness facilities. This included integration of gym and health club facilities, retail and food and beverage offerings that fully enhanced the user experience and are aimed to provide effective income streams to offset the operating costs of the facilities. Council aimed at a 5 Greenstar benchmark standard. The design included a range of innovative “Green” strategies for water and energy harvesting including sea water and solar/thermal heating and Electric heat pump technology to provide a gas free and energy efficient facility.

The design of the pool hall enclosure for the NSOP project involved complex JV3 modelling in order to achieve Council’s design outcomes of transparency and enclosure.

The design of the new facility celebrates its striking heritage character and incomparable setting, as well as its pre-eminent place in Australia’s swimming competition history

The Construction Program has suffered some major delays due to extensive latent conditions, COVID shutdown and rain delays.

The new facility is currently scheduled to be completed in late 2025 and opened to the public in early 2026.