Project Type: Cultural Activation Strategy + Activation Planning
Year: 2024–2025 (In Progress)
Client: Transport for NSW
RReactivate Consulting was engaged by Transport for NSW to develop a Cultural Activation Opportunities Assessment for the back-of-house spaces within the Sydney Terminal Building (STB) at Central Station. For this engagement, Reactivate partnered with Cultural Capital, building on their prior work developing the Central Station Public Art Strategy to ensure continuity and alignment across strategic cultural initiatives for the precinct.
Guided by the NSW Government’s Place Activation Framework, the Cultural Activation Opportunities Assessment was designed as a strategic tool to inform future decision-making. It explored the potential for the back-of-house areas of the Sydney Terminal Building to evolve into a vibrant cultural precinct that supports both the creative industries and public engagement.
The assessment identified key spatial and operational opportunities to reimagine the site as a layered cultural ecosystem. Less accessible areas were considered for potential long-term use as creative production spaces, including artist studios and makers’ workshops - offering a valuable inner-city base for cultural practitioners. In contrast, ground-level areas with potential for greater public access, such as the operational loading dock, were identified as ideal for temporary cultural presentation, including festivals, installations, and pop-up performances. This dual approach carefully balances the need for operational continuity with opportunities for dynamic, community-facing programming.
The framework also addressed critical considerations such as safety, access, heritage sensitivity, and the day-to-day requirements of a functioning transport hub. By mapping these constraints alongside activation potential, the assessment provided Transport for NSW with a clear roadmap for integrating cultural activity into the ongoing revitalisation of Central Station.
Through this work, Reactivate and Cultural Capital positioned the Sydney Terminal Building as more than just a transit hub. The assessment proposed a future identity for the site as a hub of creativity, cultural exchange, and civic life - supporting broader precinct goals and contributing meaningfully to Sydney’s evolving cultural infrastructure.
