Parramatta Square Sydney: How light follows an architectural vision
and high sustainability standards
Parramatta Square, developed by Walker Corporation, is one of
Australia’s most ambitious urban renewal projects, transforming
Western Sydney's largest urban centre into a vibrant commercial,
cultural and civic hub. Located in the geographic centre of
Greater Sydney, this $3.2 billion redevelopment encompasses
around 300,000 square meters of commercial, retail and civic
space. The project spans six hectares and includes commercial
towers, public spaces and civic buildings.
In 2013, Sydney-based architectural practice JPW won an international
design competition for the first stage of development of the precinct.
Over the next decade, JPW's Project Director, Mathew Howard, would
lead the firm's engagement with the City of Parramatta Council and
Walker Corporation to refine and deliver the precinct masterplan;
integrating public transport infrastructure, public spaces, civic buildings
and workplaces to redefine the civic heart of Greater Sydney.
Key to the realisation of the architectural vision was the
implementation of a lighting concept that did more than just
illuminate — it helped define the identity of the precinct. Michel
Goupy, Principal of LightStudioMG, explained that his company’s
task went beyond functional lighting. It was about translating the
architectural narrative into a language of light with formulating an
appropriate design:
“Effective both day and night, illumination needed to
create visual hierarchy, vertical illuminance, the perception
of brightness and accentuation of public art.”
The goal wasn’t purely technical. The lighting design was conceived
as a tool for crafting atmosphere — guiding people through the
expansive precinct while reinforcing its character and making the
complex layout intuitively legible.
Glowing from within: the “lantern effect”
4, 6 & 8 Parramatta Square are the primary office towers that define
the southern edge of the Parramatta Square public domain. They
comprise a total of more than 200,000 square metres of premium
office space above a series of civic scaled foyers and third spaces that
connect and engage with the public realm. The lighting design for each
of these spaces was planned to meet base-level illuminance, with
enhanced lux levels in lift lobbies and on art, furniture and reception
areas to create points of focus and provide visual impact.
Each foyer features soaring travertine walls. Travertine is a natural
limestone formed by mineral deposits from hot springs, known for its
warm tones and porous texture. It has been used in architecture since
ancient times and lends a sense of timeless elegance and material
authenticity to contemporary spaces.
This material quality provided the opportunity to showcase a so-called
„lantern" effect from the public domain. The effect refers to the visual
impression of the interior walls softly glowing from within, much like a
lantern. When illuminated, the light interacts with the pale, textured
travertine to create a gentle, upward radiance that is visible from
outside. This conveys warmth and presence, transforming the
lobbies into welcoming beacons within the precinct.
“Our approach to effectively illuminate the 15-metre-high
walls was to consistently light the top half of the wall with
wallwashers and support this with supplementary aimable
luminaires to infill the bottom half,” explains Goupy.
The result is striking.
Framing art with light: creating landmarks and identity in space
Accentuating elements within each space helps orientation and
creates visual landmarks. Significant artworks have been placed in
each lobby, from wall-hung paintings and tapestries to a replica of the
“Rose Hill Packet”, the first European boat built in Australia,
suspended in the foyer of 6 Parramatta Square. This gives the spaces
an identity. Lighting large artworks in large spaces presents unique
challenges: ensuring the light is spread evenly, using shadow where it
is needed, and minimising glare for people passing in different
directions within the space.
“An elevated level of light on artworks allows them to stand
out from the background illuminance,” explains Goupy.
This was achieved using luminaires from the ERCO Quintessence and
Atrium product families (downlights and wallwashers) as well as
Parscan spotlights.
5 Parramatta Square: architecture for community, light for public
life
Distinct from the office towers, 5 Parramatta Square (known as PHIVE)
serves as the new civic heart of the city. Developed by the City of
Parramatta Council, it includes council chambers, a public library
and community spaces within a fluid, curving structure. Its white,
sinuous facade echoes the nearby Parramatta River and its
welcoming, transparent form symbolizes accessibility and civic
openness. The building also incorporates a large digital screen
embedded in its facade, offering a platform for storytelling, events
and civic communication. Lighting within PHIVE is designed for
purpose, warm and welcoming, encouraging the different activities
that each zone is used for. A clever mixture of Parscan and Eclipse
spotlights creates the basic illumination, delivering ambient lighting
and complemented by accent and zonal lighting.
Timeless and Sustainable: high-performance lighting to match an
architectural vision
As public transport connectivity and population density grow, the
foresight in developing a site as expansive as Parramatta Square is
evident. Similarly, the team’s ability to anticipate the sustainability
demands of the community and tenants has proven crucial. The office
towers boast 6-star Green Star ratings (World Leadership accreditation
from the Green Building Council of Australia) and the precinct was
acknowledged in 2024 as Australia’s most energy efficient commercial
development.
The choice of ERCO fittings in the lighting design was part of the
overall commitment to the vision for Parramatta Square.
“The research and development ERCO invests in fitting and
lens technology translates into products that have very high
efficacy and minimal glare,” explains Mathew Howard.
High efficacy, translated in high lux per watt, is the result of precise
photometric systems developed by ERCO. The crucial factor here is
the quantity of light reaching the surface to be illuminated for a given
connected load. “This allows us to use fewer fittings to achieve the
desired architectural and lighting outcomes and ensure the comfort
of occupants of the buildings, and do so in a sustainable and cost-
effective way,” Howard remarks.
Michel Goupy concurs, “Whilst there is a myriad of choices of
lighting equipment in the marketplace, ERCO was chosen for its
reliability and high quality. Precision optics, ability to control glare
effectively, luminaire efficiency, high- quality light sources and
interchangeable lenses meant the ERCO product range solved
many of the challenges on Parramatta Square.”
Walker Corporation’s Parramatta Square sets a new benchmark for
integrated, culture-driven urban development in Australia. The
success of the precinct lies not just in its world-class architecture or
sustainable performance but in its attention to the emotional and
cultural life of its spaces. And the lighting design? As respected lighting
designer Michel Goupy concludes, the audience should be impressed
by space without noticing the lighting.
Grandeur, volume, direction, function. The architectural and lighting
outcomes at Parramatta Square truly deliver for the people of Sydney,
and will for many years to come.