A new series of architectural walks pointing out sights of interest in the CBD have been developed for the Sydney Architecture Festival by the Australian Architecture Association (AAA).

These tours are free but please book your spot at the AAA stand on the forecourt of Customs House or visit the AAA website .

Tours leave from the Customs House forecourt. Please be at the AAA stand 5 minutes before each tour.

Times to be released soon.

Sydney City Architecture Tour

The Sydney city walk focuses on high-rise development since WWII. You will learn who designed Sydney’s tallest skyscraper. You will learn what a curtain wall building is. You will learn why Australia Square is round. You will learn when fire regulations changed to allow buildings above 13 storeys to be built. You will learn where the highest garden in Sydney is located.

The Governor’s Street

This walk explores Macquarie Street, home to the Governor (until 1996), Parliament, as well as significant apartment buildings, Sydney Hospital and The Mint.

Harbour Edge Tour

This walk takes a route around Circular quay and includes Australia’s most famous building, the Sydney Opera House, as well as the Overseas Passenger Terminal and the heritage landscape of The Rocks.

Martin Place Tour

The Martin Place tour is called ‘100 years to make a civic place’ and traces the journey from a 10 foot lane that adjoined the newly completed GPO in 1874, to the grand civic space 100 feet wide that runs from George Street through to Macquarie Street, and highlights all the intervening episodes including a mysterious fire on Pitt Street that occurred just as the first section of Martin Place was being formed

Big Street Big Buildings

This tour is along George Street and the guide will give a background to what was Sydney’s original High Street, and visit some of Sydney’s most significant skyscrapers, including Seidler’s Grosvenor Square.