A 31-storey office tower built in 1988 in Haymarket, Sydney, will be transformed into an “enlivened contemporary workplace” for the tech sector under plans prepared by John Wardle Architects.
The $70 million renovation of the 477 Pitt Street tower will see the entire tower re-clad to address safety concerns about existing cladding which has been failing and falling from the building.
The existing building is described as a monlithic form with little building identity that “lands heavily on the corner of Pitt and Barlow Streets.”
The design will create a new building identity and more legible arrival sequence and an active frontage on Pitt Street.
New double-height façade glazing is proposed on Pitt Street and Barlow Streets, “providing direct visibility into the inner workings of the transformed ground floor lobby, verandah and sitting room spaces.”
A coffee pod will operate under the verandah providing tenants and the public an opportunity for social gathering and informal working.
477 Pitt Street by John Wardle Architects.
Three heritage buildings on the whole-block site will also be repaired and re-purposed, with John Wardle Architects working with NBRS Heritage Consultants to ensure the response is sensitive.
The locally listed Australian Gaslight Co building, originally a showroom for new gas appliances, is to be re-purposed as an event space, while the former Presbyterian Manse and Fire Engine House will be restored with new warm shell interiors to suit food and beverage tenancies.
A new landscape edge to the site is also proposed to provide greening and acoustic buffering from Pitt Street.
The proposal is being considered by the City of Sydney and is recommended for approval.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
