Located in Barangaroo, the Cutaway is a large event space carved out of sandstone beneath Barangaroo Reserve, a significant waterside green space. The venue can accommodate gala dinner and public events. In its current state it can take groups as large as 3,500 people.
In 2023, the Cutaway hosted the immersive Frida Kahlo exhibition that headlined Sydney Festival and a large-scale installation for Vivid Sydney, which included an immersive light and sound experience and the Vivid Fire Kitchen.
FDC Construction and Fitout will deliver the upgrades to the Cutaway, including creating new gallery and event spaces, enclosing ceiling voids with soundproof glass skylights and improving the forecourt, entrance and amenities, including a commercial kitchen.
The transformation is based on a design from FJC Studio, which considered gala dinners at the Cutaway as a key use case for the redesign of the space.
“The Cutaway offers a unique opportunity for a major cultural destination for Sydney due to its accessible location and large dynamic space to host cultural events, festivals and exhibitions,” said the New South Wales lands and property minister, Steve Kamper.
“The new and improved venue will accommodate multiple spaces for events, exhibitions, festivals and installations for use, and there is no other venue that looks like this anywhere in NSW.
“This design enhances the character and identity of the space, while incorporating a strong response to Connecting with Country.”
The Cutaway will close while the fit out takes place. The transformation is expected to be complete in 2025.
“The fit out at the Cutaway will maximise the potential of the space and create a globally attractive venue,” said the state’s minister for tourism, the arts, music and the night-time economy, John Graham.
“The fit out displays architectural design excellence while embedding sustainability initiatives that are consistent with Barangaroo’s climate positive principles.”
