Long before the towers, stingrays rested in the shallows of Sydney Harbour. To coincide with a renewed lobby, 400 George Street brings their story to the surface, with an artwork program and wayfinding scheme activating the lobby and reimagined end-of-trip facilities.
Local artist Aaron Kennedy – a saltwater man of the Jirranja and Djirranganj people of the Yuin Nation – was commissioned to shape an artwork for the public spaces that centres on the stingray, a creature of deep significance to the Gadigal people.
In the lobby, a signature digital artwork reflects the stories Aaron heard from his Elders growing up in Sydney. Rays glide across the screen, bringing the calm of the harbour into the heart of the city. The artwork is titled Wadha Gwiyaala Nangu – Dhurga language meaning ‘Where Stingrays Rest’. The striking monochromatic palette reflects the linoprint technique Aaron has developed through his art practice.
A companion set of linoprint artworks captures the fiddler, shovelnose and spotted rays in the hand-carved texture of the printmaker’s craft. Together, the installations are a quiet reminder that the harbour remains a living, breathing link to Country.
Wayfinding provides a subtle embellishment to the architecture, with custom Tuscan-bronze finishes and integrated illumination guiding people discreetly to the new amenities on offer.
