Sydney's New Waterfront Towers — Barangaroo and the Harbour's Second Act
For most of its history, Sydney's residential identity was horizontal — terrace houses in Paddington, bungalows in Bondi, weatherboard cottages in the Inner West. The harbour and the Opera House were the skyline; everything else stayed low. Then Barangaroo happened.
The transformation of a derelict container port on the western harbour into a $8 billion precinct gave Sydney its first real cluster of luxury residential towers — and proved that Australians would actually pay premium prices to live above the 50th floor. These four buildings are the result.
1Sydney · BarangarooCrown Sydney
271 m75 floorsCompleted 2022Wilkinson EyreThe crown jewel (literally) of Barangaroo — WilkinsonEyre's 75-story tower combining Crown's six-star hotel with luxury residences on the upper floors. The curved glass facade catches the harbour light in a way that changes by the hour. The casino controversy almost killed it; the building itself is Sydney's best skyscraper.
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2Sydney · BarangarooOne Sydney Harbour
247 m72 floorsCompleted 2023Renzo Piano Building WorkshopRenzo Piano's Australian debut — 72 stories of what might be the most refined residential tower in the Southern Hemisphere. Three interlocking volumes with a faceted glass skin that Piano reportedly iterated 30+ times. The penthouse sold for A$140M, the most expensive apartment in Australian history.
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3Sydney · Sydney CBDGreenland Centre
237 m67 floorsCompleted 2021BVN / Woods Bagot67 stories in the CBD on Bathurst Street — Sydney's tallest residential tower by floor count. The Chinese developer Greenland Group brought a scale of residential ambition that local developers hadn't attempted. Mixed-use with hotel floors, but the residential levels offer CBD views and proximity to Darling Harbour.
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4Sydney · Circular QuayOpera Residences
65 m20 floorsCompleted 2020TzannesThe most controversial address on this list. 20 stories at Circular Quay, directly facing the Opera House and Harbour Bridge — the two most famous views in Australia from your living room. Tzannes Associates designed a building that had to survive heritage objections, political fights, and a decade of approvals. Only 104 units. The location is singular.
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Frequently asked
- What is the tallest residential building in Sydney?
- Crown Sydney at 75 stories (271 meters) in Barangaroo, completed in 2022. One Sydney Harbour at 72 stories is a close second.
- Can foreigners buy residential property in Sydney?
- Foreigners can only buy new-build properties in Australia (not resale). FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board) approval is required, with an application fee starting at A$14,100. All four towers on this list have or had new-build inventory available to foreign buyers.
- How does Sydney compare to other global luxury markets?
- Sydney's luxury pricing sits between Asian and European markets. Prime harbour-view apartments run A$30,000-50,000/sqm (roughly $2,000-3,500 USD/sqft) — cheaper than Hong Kong, Singapore, or London, but more expensive than Miami or Dubai. The quality of life, however, is consistently ranked among the world's best.
Barangaroo still has construction underway, and the Central Barangaroo precinct will add more residential and cultural buildings to the waterfront. Sydney's vertical chapter is just beginning.