Digital Street Furniture To Reshape Our Future City

Visitors to Sydney can expect a more inviting experience as the City of Sydney begins the installation of digital bus shelters as part of an architect-designed street furniture rollout.

The 340 new bus shelters will offer more sun and rain protection, better accessibility and comfort for people waiting at transport stops. The digital shelters feature advertising screens that can display real-time event information, community updates and public safety messaging.

The City of Sydney is also doubling the number of public toilets across the city, adding new information pylons with interactive touch screens and more streamlined kiosks, as well as installing more of the award-winning benches and litter bins designed by Sydney firm, Tzannes.

Construction work will be done in stages to minimise disruption across the City of Sydney’s 26-square km area.

City of Sydney CEO, Monica Barone, said the infrastructure designed by award-winning firm Grimshaw Architects will transform the city’s streets for residents, visitors and businesses, while old street furniture will be recycled as part of a sustainability plan.

“The contemporary sustainable and energy-efficient street furniture will make the city more accessible for more people to enjoy,” Ms Barone said.

“A new long-term agreement with QMS Media will provide significant revenue to the City of Sydney, which will help us provide and maintain high quality services and public spaces.”

The upgrade of street furniture follows the signing in 2020 of the 10-year deal with QMS, with an option for a 5-year extension.

QMS General Manager, City of Sydney, Jemma Enright, said the company was excited to be working on the project to reinvigorate Australia’s most premium and sought-after street furniture network.

“The new street furniture network will set a new standard for function, accessibility and sustainability – and will be more advanced as an advertising network, with bigger displays optimised for visibility and attention, and significantly more digital panels for greater impact.”

The new street furniture is designed by award-winning firm Grimshaw. Andrew Cortese, Managing Partner, said the elegant designs are functional and accessible.

“Our aim was to create a distinctive and elegant ensemble of street furniture that gives service and amenity to Sydney’s streets, its parks and the public realm,” Mr Cortese said.

“This design affirms Sydney’s standing as a progressive and citizen-oriented city with continued investment in public infrastructure. The design is digitally enhanced, resolved to place, heritage and the natural landscape, and has an enduring materiality and resilience. It’s a design that is unique to Sydney.”