On Sydney Harbour, Pier Pavilion by Besley & Spresser is a meditation on material and memory, its terrazzo of recycled oyster shells reflecting the harbour’s enduring connection between nature, architecture, and place.
At its heart is a material that binds the building to its setting. The pavilion is made from a specially developed oyster terrazzo, composed of recycled Sydney Rock Oyster shells combined with reclaimed aggregates. Nearly half a million shells — remnants of the harbour’s long history of oyster cultivation and feasting — were diverted from landfill to form this new architectural skin. When honed, the terrazzo reveals the variegated fragments of shell, glinting in soft daylight, a surface that carries the memory of the estuary.
The plan traces the geometry of the coves and peninsulas that define Sydney Harbour. A double colonnade of 86 slender columns supports a landscaped roof of native plants, sandstone, and hollow logs typical of the surrounding headlands. Light enters through a large oculus above, moving slowly across the floor — a shifting circle that marks the passage of time.
Within the pavilion sits a smaller freestanding structure housing a servery and technical spaces to support public events. Yet the architecture resists hierarchy: it remains open and porous, balancing enclosure and exposure, permanence and change.
“We wanted the pavilion to have a distinctly civic feel; all are welcome here,” says Peter Besley.
“The use of oyster shells pays homage to centuries of human gathering by the sea,” adds Jessica Spresser. “It connects us to the ecology and rituals of the harbour.”
The Pier Pavilion stands as part of a broader renewal of Sydney’s waterfront — but it is also something quieter: an architectural meditation on material, light, and belonging. Through its form and substance, it recalls the meeting of land, sea, and sky — and the enduring relationship between people and the harbour that holds them.
