The Cutaway, Barangaroo
Project: The Cutaway, Barangaroo
Practice: fjcstudio
Builder: FDC Group
Location: Barangaroo, Sydney
Planex products: xLocker2 System and Linea Sliding Door Cabinet
Lock technology: Lock Focus 3950
Sydney’s foreshore redevelopment marks ten years of Barangaroo Reserve – a place of deep cultural significance honouring thousands of years of First Nations connection to land and sea. Beneath the sculpted headland lies The Cutaway, one of Australia’s largest internal event spaces, currently being fitted out by fjcstudio as a fully functioning cultural and performance venue.
The design is grounded in Connecting with Country principles through an early and sustained collaboration with First Nations Knowledge Keepers and Creatives, led by Shannon Foster of Bangawarra and artist Jake Nash. Natural references to Salt-Water Country, Gibbagunya (Sandstone Caves), and Damun (Port Jackson Fig) soften the monumental elegance of the excavated orthogonal sandstone volume – (a physical reminder of the damage to Country), transforming it into a place of welcome, belonging, and cultural resonance.
Front-of-house spaces are supported by a suite of carefully considered back-of-house functions including a commercial kitchen, dressing rooms and event support areas, where the interior design continues the themes of landscape, material flow and quiet refuge.
Within the performance dressing room suites, Planex supplied a customised storage solution integrating the xLocker2 system and Linea sliding door cabinets. The lockers are detailed to sit flush within the wall, preserving a clean, recessive line that supports the calm, restorative intent of the back-of-house environment. Doors feature Lucy Simpson’s ‘Buunhu’ perforation (Kangaroo Grass), introducing a tactile connection to Country through light, pattern and material rhythm – offering performers a tranquil setting ahead of major cultural events.
Designed and manufactured in Australia, Planex steel storage systems provide a durable, secure and low-maintenance solution aligned with the project’s commitment to longevity, local making and environmental stewardship. The integration of storage into the architectural language ensures these elements contribute quietly but meaningfully to the cultural experience of the space.
Planex is proud to support such an important civic and cultural landmark with storage that is both functionally robust and culturally responsive, designed to stand the test of time.
Photography by Nicole England