Níall McLaughlin Architects has been appointed to design a new Catholic Cathedral in Sydney’s Waitara suburb, as the centrepiece of a new spiritual, civic and cultural precinct for the Diocese of Broken Bay, in New South Wales.
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 international competition was organised by the diocese and led by the Archbishop Anthony Randazzo DD JCL, for the Hornsby Cathedral Parish community and the entire Diocese of Broken Bay.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary since being proclaimed a Diocese in April 1986 by the then Pope John Paul II, Broken Bay now serves around 250,000 Catholics.
The Cathedral Precinct Project will be the first Roman Catholic Cathedral in Australia in over a century to be master-planned from its inception as a complete, integrated cathedral precinct.
Source: Níall McLaughlin Architects/ Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay
