Our Story
A piazza with a past, and a future
Five kilometres west of the Sydney CBD, the Italian Forum is the cultural home of Sydney's Italian community. A galleried walkway carries you from Norton Street and, as if by magic, into Italy Tuscan arches, tones of tan and burnt red, a striking space that opens before you.
At its heart is the piazza: a generous outdoor room ringed by cafés and restaurants, from cheerful trattoria to fine Italian dining, overlooked by boutiques and the balcony of the Cultural Centre.
A short history
Post-WWII
Italian migrants make Leichhardt their home, earning it the name Sydney's Little Italy.
1988
Premier Neville Wran grants 12,000 m² of Norton Street land to the Italian community.
1997
Brewster Hjorth Architects complete the Forum around an open-air Tuscan piazza.
2003
Leichhardt Library moves into the Forum, deepening its cultural life.
2015
Co.As.It. acquires the Cultural Centre; the Actors Centre Australia takes residence.
2016
A major revitalisation refreshes the piazza for a new generation.
Architecture & soul
The Forum reimagines the Italian piazza for Sydney: a circular colonnade of Romanesque arches, a clock tower marking the hours, terracotta rooftops and a golden light that settles over the courtyard each afternoon. It's not a mall it's a place to linger, meet, and belong.
Discover the piazza
