Commercial Award

DESCRIPTION
The development site was complex, comprising two heritage buildings, an unlisted warehouse building worthy of preservation, links to an existing commercial building and frontages to three streets - George, King and York Streets. The geometry of the site boundaries, the set back requirements and heritage buildings together acted as both a severe constraint and an opportunity to satisfy the commercial brief and contribute to the public realm. The development comprises the functional and services integration of the five buildings within one city block accommodating 27,000 square metres of new office accommodation, retail, serviced apartments and cafe. A new public inner court space has been created, and a through-site link between York and George Streets.

JURY VERDICT
The office building complex at 363 George Street, Sydney, with its main address on a crucial junction of the central business district, is a consummate work of architectural art. It demonstrates - with pronounced urbanity - that on difficult and complex development sites, which are now common in Sydney, it is possible both to fulfil the demands of a rigorous commercial brief and to contribute to the public realm. Five buildings, including two heritage buildings, are integrated in this development, which is surmounted by a twenty storey tower whose service core also serves the heritage buildings leaving their structures and floors unencumbered. Against George Street a three-sectioned colonnade relates in height and detail to adjacent buildings. Clad in Sydney sandstone, it provides a monumental but not intimidating connection to the semi-public tower foyer (in effect a high transparent glass and stainless steel box within an even higher void beneath the tower) and to the generous northern stairs of the new public thoroughfare to York Street. Selective demolition and retention, a carefully balanced hierarchy of building forms, materials and colour maximising natural light, a tower facade of carefully scaled bolted polished stone, and imaginative planning, demonstrate an uncompromised skill in the handling of complex issues of scale and program complexity.

Images: John Gollings, Patrick Bingham-Hall