Scheme will turn city’s ’back door into another front door’ says Rogers

Richard Rogers has defended his controversial Barangaroo development in Sydney against the charge that it represents “the worst of Dubai”.

Visiting the city with partner Ivan Harbour, he said it was a “wonderful opportunity for a landmark” and backed the outspoken former prime minister Paul Keating who is the scheme’s chief cheerleader.

The two architects admitted they were mystified by the Dubai comparison which was made by architect Philip Thalis who won the original design competition to redevelop the 22ha stretch of disused wharves. Rogers, working with Lend Lease, later beat Foster & Partners to land the £3.3 billion job in 2009.

They were forced to refine their scheme following criticism. The 213m luxury hotel at the tip of the peninsula has been scaled back to 170m and its bold colour – which earnt it the nickname Big Red – toned down.

Other critics have questioned whether the city centre site, previously known as East Darling Harbour, is the right place for such a development.

But Rogers said he was “turning Sydney’s back door into another front door”.

He told the Sydney Morning Herald: “The water is critical, the public space is critical, the city is growing and you need more public space.

“Are they saying we have enough beauty we don’t want any more? It’s sort of a bizarre concept to me.

“You have to start by using the derelict land and you have quite a bit of it. You have to fill in the holes.

“This is a classic hole … it’s a big piece of concrete on the potentially most beautiful promontory.

“The hotel is a wonderful opportunity for a landmark as long as the ground area is public domain.”