Central Station Sydney Metro – Customer Centred Design

Central Station, a major heritage landmark and the busiest transport hub in Sydney, required substantial transformation to integrate the new Sydney Metro line. With five modes of connected transport and over 250,000 daily users, the challenge was to ensure seamless, intuitive, and accessible movement throughout the precinct. The complexity of the site—its layered history, existing infrastructure, and high passenger volumes—required a sensitive yet future-focused approach. Büro North was engaged to identify barriers to usability through in-depth research and stakeholder engagement. These insights informed a series of targeted design strategies aimed at enhancing accessibility, legibility, and overall passenger experience.

Büro North's research on Central Station was grounded in a comprehensive, user-centred research program spanning four years and involving over 200 participants. The engagement included individuals with mobility, vision, cognitive, and neuro-diverse needs to ensure the design responded to a broad spectrum of users. Through innovative tools such as virtual reality interviews, live station mock-ups, lightweight spatial prototypes, and in-depth co-design workshops, participants could meaningfully influence the evolving design. This highly iterative approach ensured that accessibility and inclusivity were embedded at every stage. The result is a best-practice framework for major transport projects, setting a new standard for inclusive design.

The Central Station 'customer centred design' research project delivered far-reaching impact across commercial, environmental, and societal domains. By embedding user-centred research into the design process, including innovative methods like VR testing and on-site prototyping, critical pain points and accessibility issues were addressed for all users—particularly those with disabilities. Enhancements such as intuitive wayfinding, mobility support, and clearer circulation flows contribute to safer, more efficient station, reducing dwell times and operational strain. Commercially, these improvements de-risked the design, reducing future retrofit costs. Environmentally, optimised layouts support active transport. Socially, the project sets a new benchmark for inclusive infrastructure.