ICC Sydney secures LEED Gold status

The International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) – Australia’s premier convention, exhibition and entertainment venue – has been awarded ‘LEED Gold’ certification by the U.S. Green Building Council, recognising its all-encompassing approach to sustainability.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) ratings system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance.

NSW Minister for Finance, Services and Property, Victor Dominello, said that the A$1.5bn venue, delivered by Darling Harbour Live, is the centrepiece of the A$3.5bn rejuvenation of the Darling Harbour precinct, and an important part of the NSW Government’s focus on sustainability. He added:

ICC Sydney is recognised as a leader in sustainable building design. The integrated venue has been cleverly designed to minimise energy and water consumption, whilst still delivering world-class amenities for business events and live entertainment.

The LEED Gold certification recognises ICC Sydney’s work in sustainability including:

• Re-use of 100,000 cubic metres of concrete from the original brownfield site
• Use of 96 per cent recycled steel in its Exhibition Halls
• Highly efficient Central Energy Plant and Building Management Systems
• Australia’s largest electric car charging station for 25 vehicles
• A community funded solar array, the nation’s largest in a CBD, providing 5 per cent of the venue’s energy – enough to power 100 homes

Peter Robertson, General Manager of Darling Harbour Live, said the accolade further strengthens the precinct’s environmental credentials, with the broader revitalisation project having recently received an outstanding 6 Star Green Star Communities rating from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). He added:

Since its opening in December 2016, ICC Sydney has transformed Darling Harbour. We now have 30 per cent more public space and greater connectivity through the creation of pedestrian and cyclist links in the precinct.

Geoff Donaghy, CEO of ICC Sydney, noted that the LEED Gold certification will help attract more business events to the venue:

Today, the business events industry is more focused than ever before on ensuring we act in an environmentally sustainable and responsible way, and this is something we are seeing translate into client requirements.

 

ICC Sydney has secured over 850 bookings to date and we expect this accreditation will help us increase our competitive advantage on the global stage and continue to foster the NSW visitor economy. It also backs our commitment to providing world-class facilities and experiences for our guests, alongside the ultimate in quality, choice and flexibility for the world’s leaders and thinkers, to meet, collaborate and innovate.

Visit the ICC Sydney website.

Image: ICC Sydney

Photograph: Guy Wilkinson Photography

The project team behind ICC Sydney

Joint venture partners HASSELL + Populous delivered the architectural design for Sydney’s new integrated convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct at Darling Harbour as design consultants to the Darling Harbour Live consortium (comprising Lend Lease, Capella Capital, AEG Ogden and Spotless). The consortium was selected by the NSW Government as the preferred developer of the A$1bn facility.

HASSELL also designed the extensive public realm, pedestrian parkland and plaza environs around these new facilities.

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