Introducing The Cutaway.
A place cut different, a space like no other.
Sculpted into Sydney’s saltwater cliffs and sandstone edges, a unique place of story and connection, where past and present meet with purpose.
The Cutaway offers a distinctive cultural and events space to gather, reflect, and belong. A venue with purpose, it is a place where culture, creativity and community come together to spark connection and inspire new perspectives.
Curated experiences are distinctly Sydney, weaving together history and culture. The resulting space is grounded in Country, rich in meaning and designed to leave a lasting impression.
The Cutaway story
Sydney is Saltwater Country, and for thousands of years this place has been cared for, shaped and nurtured by First Nations peoples. The coming together on Saltwater Country to fish, dance, sing and share in cultural practice is a living tradition and expression of First Nations cultures. A culture not to be seen as a moment or footnote in the history of this place but as an active contributor to the space, place and Country we know as Sydney. The place in which The Cutaway stands, a gibba-gunya (rock shelter) for creativity, gathering and connection.
The world’s oldest living culture is woven into The Cutaway and is reflected in the design of the venue and connection to Saltwater Country. The stories and cultures of First Nations peoples are reverberated throughout the space as it continues to be a place for cultural connection and gathering.
Rockpools, sandstone, saltwater fish and the ancestors of this place have crafted its history, nurtured its future and continue to uplift and care for the First Nations peoples and communities who care for this place today. Here, First Nations histories, creativity and cultures come together within the gunya and danum (tree shelters) of The Cutaway.
The Cutaway stands and operates on the sovereign lands of the Gadigal peoples. We acknowledge Gadigal Country, her lands, sea and sky, we acknowledge her custodians, the Gadigal people, their kin the Wangal, Bidjigal, Cabrogal and Cammeraygal who often visited this Country to connect and share. We offer our respect to their Elders both past and present.
First Nations architectural design
The Cutaway was formed by quarrying sandstone from the harbour foreshore to create the expansive event hall it is today. The removed stone was carefully repurposed as 10,000 sandstone blocks that frame Barangaroo’s harbour edge.
The Cutaway’s bold engineered form is softened through Gibbagunya, a protective stone shelter inspired by the cultural landscapes of the harbour and local coastlines. Shaped over millennia by wind and water, these natural forms have long been places of gathering.
Angophora and fig trees, or Damun, wrap their roots and branches around rocky edges, connecting with caves, rockpools, saltwater fish and Country. This relationship is reflected in the venue’s sculptural timber elements. The Gunya, formed from tree branches, provides light protection and creates a focal point for gathering and daily life.
The cave and outcrop forms follow the patterns of nature rather than straight lines, creating an undulating western edge and a ceiling rhythm inspired by layered rock formations.
WELLAMA
WELLAMA is an invitation to experience the spirit of Gadigal Country through a 10-minute audio visual experience by Alison Page and Nik Lachajczak that welcomes visitors to land, sea and sky Country at Barangaroo. Commissioned as a permanent work for the entrance to the Cutaway in Barangaroo Reserve in 2018, the work captures the essence of the ‘Welcome to Country’ by creating a visceral and emotional experience that is a celebration of the continuity of culture through ceremony and the cycles of nature.