Transforming architectural intent into a buildable timber solution
The Cutaway Barangaroo is a major cultural and events venue beneath Barangaroo Reserve in Sydney. The project transforms an existing underground concrete and sandstone structure into a new civic destination for exhibitions, festivals, installations and major public events.
At the heart of the project are sculptural timber trees that redefine the spatial experience and establish a new architectural identity within the existing structure. For HESS TIMBER, the task was to take responsibility for making this concept buildable, coordinated and deliverable.
Thank you for joining the Australian Institut of architects tuesday tour at The Cutaway.
What you experienced on site is a highly complex freeform timber structure that shows how architectural intent, engineering expertise and coordinated delivery can be brought together in one integrated timber solution.
Project overview
The Cutaway Barangaroo is located in Sydney, Australia, and was designed by fjcstudio. The project was delivered with FDC Construction & Fitout as builder and Infrastructure NSW as building owner. HESS TIMBER contributed to the project with Concept & Consulting, Engineering & Design, Project Management, Production and Component Delivery. The project is classified within the typologies Freeform and Sport & Cultural.
13 freeform timber trees
At the centre of The Cutaway are 13 monumental freeform timber trees. Each structure was individually engineered and fabricated, reaching heights of up to approximately 17 metres and combining structural performance with a level of visual refinement typically associated with bespoke interior fitouts.
The timber package developed by HESS TIMBER is based on a coordinated hybrid material strategy including glulam, CLT with glulam veneering, double-curved LVL with glulam veneering and local hardwood glulam elements. This approach made it possible to align architectural ambition, structural requirements and manufacturability within one coherent system.
Engineering and design
Freeform timber structures require more than just structural design. They also require parametric thinking, production knowledge, and close coordination between all project stakeholders. HESS TIMBER developed a buildable, coordinated system that translated an ambitious spatial concept into a manufacturable, deliverable timber solution.
Different element types were developed within the timber trees to respond to specific structural and geometrical requirements. These included cross-laminated timber (CLT) with glulam veneering for the tips, curved and straight glulam elements for the fingers, block-glued curved glulam for the teeth, solid milled glulam for the trunks, local hardwood glulam in the lower trunk zones, and double-curved laminated veneer lumber (LVL) elements with glulam veneering where conventional solutions were insufficient.
The result is a timber solution that combines architectural freedom with engineering precision and fabrication logic.
Designing for effective fabrication and assembly
The Cutaway required an exceptionally high level of geometric control and coordination. The fabrication process was digitally coordinated and included the standardisation of selected blanks, the CNC machining of tighter curves from larger-radius raw beams, and the 6-axis milling of upper trunk blanks and pre-installed brackets to support site assembly.
This reflects a core aspect of how HESS TIMBER approaches complex timber construction projects. Not only must architectural intent be preserved in design. It must also be translated into components that can be produced efficiently, delivered reliably, and assembled with precision.
From concept to completion
Our approach as project specialists is supporting general contractors, project developers and architects. We manage timber construction projects holistically from the initial consultation, through timber construction planning and component production, to onsite assembly. Everything from a single source. Everything from a single source.
For The Cutaway, this integrated approach was essential. The project design, production, delivery and installation were structured across five key stages over an almost 12-month design phase, reflecting the high level of geometric complexity and variability across the 13 trees. HESS TIMBER was not only involved in design and engineering, but responsible across the timber delivery chain.
HESS TIMBER is developing and delivering timber construction solutions globally. As project specialists, we support general contractors, project developers and architects and manage timber construction projects holistically from the initial consultation through timber construction planning and component production to onsite assembly. Everything from a single source. Everything from a single source.
We specialise in complex geometries, long-span structures and high-quality exposed timber architecture. For more than 25 years, we have been delivering international engineered timber projects across cultural, commercial and public building typologies.
Together with our customers and partners, we develop and implement optimised timber construction solutions for a wide range of building types. Resource-efficient, future-proof, functional and economical.
