From Milsons Point to Cabarita, BrandCulture is helping to integrate 10 iconic ferry wharves into Sydney’s wider transport network.
Since 2017, BrandCulture has been involved in the upgrade of eight Sydney Harbour Wharves: Chiswick, Cockatoo Island, Abbotsford, Rydalmere, Milsons Point, Birchgrove, Parramatta and Cabarita. Working closely with TfNSW’s Customer Strategy and Technology Division, RMS (Roads and Maritime Services) and Managing Contractor Hansen Yuncken, we are now extending our wayfinding expertise to the upgrade of two more wharves. It’s a project we love because it provides the perfect excuse to step away from our desks to soak up Sydney’s sights by ferry.
There are more than 100 wharves in Sydney, but in the past, it wasn’t always easy to know which wharves were designed for ferry commuters, and which ones were off-limits as private or commercial wharves.
To set Sydney Ferry Wharves apart with their own distinctive design, NSW Roads and Maritime Service (RMS) embarked on a harbour-wide upgrade of commuter ferry wharves. The wharves are being upgraded as part of the NSW Government’s Transport Access Program – an initiative to deliver modern, safe and accessible transport infrastructure across the state.
Enhancing accessibility through wayfinding
With eight wharves complete and two underway, we have established a tried and tested process for implementing signage to enhance accessibility across Sydney Harbour and improve the passenger experience.
Before each new wharf is constructed, BrandCulture begins to devise a wayfinding strategy through audits and pre-planning. Our goals are to help people connect to and from nearby destinations and transport modes, and identify each wharf. Some locations aren’t as obvious as others, while other wharves can be accessed via multiple entry points, which means signage must be located at key decision points not just on the wharf itself but within the public domain. We also needed to provide sufficient passenger information on and off the pontoon to allow customers to better plan their trip.
Occasionally, this means rethinking landside and waterside architecture to allow for more prominent placement of signage, which plays a vital role in helping people to orientate and identify the wharves. Wherever possible, we recommend relocating refurbishing and recycling existing signs in addition to creating custom-designed signs to integrate with new and existing architecture.
From Birchgrove to Parramatta, we are proud to be partnering with Hansen Yuncken to integrate 10 ferry wharves into Sydney’s wider transport network.
