Candalepas

Plans for a new building within the grounds of Sydney's - and Australia's - oldest surviving Catholic church have been greenlit for development. Situated within the St Mary's Cathedral precinct, located east of Hyde Park in Sydney's CBD, the approved new chancery building, designed by Candalepas Associates, is replete with a bookshop, a cafe and community meeting rooms.

The design adopts a square-like floorplate on the site of an existing car park, located between the current cathedral - built between 1866-1928 to the design of William Wardell - and a former school known as Chapter House. Both buildings fall under a single listing on the NSW state heritage register.

According to a communique from Candalepas Associates, "this location was intended to accommodate the Archiepiscopal residence as part of the original masterplan … That building was never realised; however, its implied presence - evident in corbelling left in the cathedral's sacristy wall - has informed the current architectural approach."

The architecture firm noted that the chancery's "position at the junction of multiple programs - administrative, ceremonial, liturgical and public - allows it to act as a transitional element within the site's larger spatial and functional framework." Their vision was guided by the chancery as a "supporting building, both in use and architectural character," yet significant in its contribution "to a more legible precinct identity."

Taking cues from the massing and positioning of Chapter Hall, the approved chancery extends the materiality and rhythm of the precinct by adopting a formal language of sandstone arches and timber-framed openings across the lower levels, offering a contemporary translation of traditional cloisters. The third storey, which is defined by a glazed perimeter, is capped by a thin, hipped roof.

Internally, the chancery is designed to offer flexible workspaces with generous access to daylight and framed views of the cathedral. As part of the architect's environmental strategy, the project employs durable natural materials, adopts a geothermal heat exchange system for heating and cooling, and includes rooftop solar photovoltaic panels.

Executive director of administration and finance for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney Michael Digges commented that the project is part of a long-term vision for the St Mary's precinct.

"As the mother Church of Australia, St Mary's Cathedral is not only important for the faithful in Sydney, but for Catholics who visit from Australia and overseas. It also provides a place of prayer, solace and wonder for people of other faiths and even of no faith. The Archdiocese is steadfast in our stewardship of the St Mary's Cathedral Shrine and precinct, and to ensuring it will serve Catholics and the broader community for centuries to come."

The decision to approve Candalepas Associates' design was granted by the NSW Land and Environment Court last week following a hearing between the Archdiocese of Sydney, and the City of Sydney and the Heritage Council of NSW, who had argued against the proposal.

Having been first presented to the City of Sydney in 2021, the initial six-storey scheme submitted for development approval in December 2023 was amended to the three-storey version at the council's request, but ultimately refused by the council. The archdiocese filed an appeal of the decision in July 2024.

In the recent June hearing, court commissioner Timothy Horton declared that the project exemplified "a high standard of architectural design, materials and detailing appropriate to the building type and location."

Digges noted, "We are grateful that the appeal was upheld, and confident that if built, this new building will provide wonderful new facilities for the cathedral parish, worshippers and visitors to the site, as well as new chancery offices."