Laneways
fjcurban designs laneways, arcades and through-site links that open up city blocks and give people new ways to move through the city. Our laneways are planned with the buildings around them, with active edges, good light and a clear sense of place.
From the through-site link at Liberty Place and the Civic Connector at Darling Quarter to Bennetts Lane in Melbourne, our laneways connect streets, squares and the waterfront.
Liberty Place, Sydney
A new public laneway and plaza link Castlereagh and Pitt Streets, with a white limestone floor that folds into a dramatic staircase along the through-site link.
Oxford & Foley, Darlinghurst
Foley Lane is redefined as a key pedestrian corridor, with new through-site connections drawn through the heritage buildings.
Darling Quarter, Sydney
A new pedestrian street, the Civic Connector, links Darling Harbour with Town Hall.
388 George Street, Sydney
A new urban pavilion re-creates a diagonal public arcade through the site.
200 George Street, Sydney
At Crane Place, a stone ground folds into steps and displays the site’s archaeological finds, with a bronze line marking the edge of the pre-European estuary.
The Harrington Collection, The Rocks
The project restores and extends the pathways, laneways and stairs of The Rocks, linking pedestrian flow to places to gather.
Parliament Square, Hobart
New laneways and a public square link Salamanca Place with Murray Street, with active edges to the hotel and offices.
Bennetts Lane, Melbourne
Retail, food and beverage line three street frontages, adding to Melbourne’s laneway network.
Darling Square, Sydney
Residential buildings within Darling Square, a new neighbourhood of laneways and squares in Haymarket.
Our Expertise
Opening the Block
Through-site links make city blocks more permeable and shorten walking routes. At Liberty Place, a new laneway links Castlereagh and Pitt Streets, and at 388 George Street a diagonal arcade is re-created through the site. Each new connection gives people more choice in how they move through the city.
Active Edges
Laneways succeed when they are lined with life. Retail, food and beverage, lobbies and outdoor seating keep edges active through the day and evening, as at Bennetts Lane, which adds to Melbourne’s laneway network, and at Oxford & Foley, where new tenancies bring life to Foley Lane.
Heritage and Story
Many laneways follow old paths. At The Harrington Collection we restored and extended the pathways and stairs of The Rocks, and at Crane Place the ground displays archaeological finds from colonial and Victorian Sydney. Revealing these histories gives each laneway a character and depth that new streets rarely achieve.
Light, Materials and Comfort
Stone, timber and planting are chosen to last and to make narrow spaces feel generous. Daylight, shelter and clear sightlines make laneways comfortable and safe to use at all hours. Lighting, seating and planting are designed together, so laneways feel welcoming after dark as well as by day.