A key point of interest was the proposal for three new overhead pedestrian bridges across Pitt Street Mall. Sydney's concerns about obscuring street vistas was mitigated with a transparent proposal of clear glass enclosures, light and light filled, the design addressed the City's concerns and fulfilled Westfield's commercial imperatives. The vibrancy of the retail experience has enhanced the urban design of the City at ground level.
Westfield Sydney Office & Retail Podium
This extraordinary retail and office redevelopment breathes life into the heart of a city.
Our international competition winning design covers the refurbishment of a commercial office building and facade envelope for a six-storey retail podium. It joins with our 85 Castlereagh Street commercial tower to give unity and urban coherence across a diverse range of scale and site conditions.
A patterning system for the facades and a stitching motif adjusts accordingly across all aspects and scales of the project. Our envelope for the six-storey retail podium creates an urban scaled vertical pattern with a white glass and green zinc panel system. Sculptural black zinc and concrete cowls with picture framed windows punctuate the envelope and also work to define the entry points.
Demarcating the retail tenancies from the commercial offices above whilst resonating with the historic tradition of awnings in Sydney, a glass canopy with an expressive tensile support system appears to stitch the canopy to the main facade.
For the refurbishment of the existing office building that sits below the Sydney Observatory Tower, atrium spaces are carved into the buildings structural system of massive floor plates with very low floor-to-floor heights. This dramatically improves the natural light and ventilation conditions.
- Traditional Custodians Gadigal people of the Eora Nation
- Collaborators Wardle with Westfield Design & Construction
- Client Westfield Design And Construction
- Location Sydney, New South Wales
- Project Duration 2006 – 2012
- Sustainability 6 Star GBCA
- Selected Awards
- Woodhead Award for Best Mixed Use Development, PCA/RLB Innovation and Excellence Awards 2013
- Redpath Partners Award for Best Shopping Centre Development, PCA/RLB Innovation Redpath Partners Award for Best Shopping Centre Development, PCA/RLB Innovation and Excellence Awards 2013
- Commendation for Interior Architecture, AIA New South Wales 2013