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A New Cathedral for Sydney

April 2026

A New Cathedral for Sydney

Níall McLaughlin Architects has been appointed to design a new Catholic Cathedral in Sydney’s Waitara suburb, as the centrepiece of a new spiritual, civic and cultural precinct for the Diocese of Broken Bay, in New South Wales.

The Cathedral Precinct Project will establish an integrated centre of Catholic life in the region and is poised to become a distinctive local landmark and a spiritual focal point for the parishes of the Northern Beaches, Central Coast, and North Shore.

Key to the project vision is the creation of a lifelong journey for congregants: from Baptism through to early learning, primary, and secondary education – ensuring the Cathedral is a living centre that serves all ages of its community. 

The design highlights responsible, sustainable materials that complement the natural setting, in keeping with Pope Francis’s call to care for our common home.

Generous public spaces will embed the site within the neighbourhood and welcome the community – creating a place that prioritises people and permeability.  

The international competition was organised by the diocese and led by the Archbishop Anthony Randazzo DD JCL, for the Hornsby Cathedral Parish community and the entire Diocese of Broken Bay. 

 

Níall's Lecture in Rome

November 2025

Níall's Lecture in Rome

On the 7th November Níall will present a lecture in Rome entitled my Portfolio in Poems, as part of the conference  Architecture and the Literary  Imagination, organized by the American University of Rome and curated by Fabio Barry and Paul Gwynne. 
The event, open to the entire DARC community, will be introduced by Maddalena Scimemi and is part of the program of courses in History of Contemporary Architecture for the Master of Science in Architectural Design, which for the occasion will be broadcast on unified channels (Channel I and Channel II). Link to the website can be found here.