Sustainable compact, respectfully designed and thoughtfully organized, where heritage and contemporary elements complement each other, the redevelopment of these two buildings in Sydney’s CBD offers hope for the city’s future.
The two-story machine room has been retained as an open gallery space, with new bay windows protruding between the traditional steelwork.
Looking up from the dense streetscape of brick warehouses on the western edge of Sydney’s CBD in the 19th century, one is struck by a magnificent curved new glass extension that appears to be hovering above a pair of historic structures. He represents a modern-day genie, bursting out of the bottle of history, perhaps to grant our three wishes.
So what are the three wishes this project promises? The first is a dense, compact city of the future, built sustainably on existing infrastructure. Secondly, it is a kind city that respects heritage and minimizes its impact on the existing urban fabric. The third is a beautiful city where modernism and tradition coexist and complement each other.
The site consists of two separate brick buildings: a warehouse with half-timbered floors and an abandoned substation with a concrete floor. Shelley’s seven-story warehouse at 185 Clarence Street was built in 1909 to plans by Arthur F. Pritchard. The site adjacent to 183 Clarence Street remained undeveloped until the Sydney Department of Energy restored it in 1924 and planned a substation by city architect Robert H. Broadrick. The five-story substation, including the two-story machine room, operated until 1985.
The curved entrance built into the warehouse façade is characteristic of FJMT’s heritage approach and all new designs are easily recognizable.
Construction company Built purchased the two sites in 2017 and plans to locate its headquarters there. The firm held a limited competition to select an architect. FJMT Studio’s winning concept is based on respect and respect for the historical fabric, with what appears to be a curved glass object hovering above an earthy rectilinear brick building. Continuing the architect’s exploration of the UTS Center (see Australian Architecture May/June 2020), the building is clad in white glass that contrasts with the tactile bricks below that seem to dissolve into thin air above. The project’s sculpting has been so successful – especially its soffit that curves under the building – it’s hard to imagine that eight floors were added, more than doubling the height of the original building.
In addition to the sculptural relationship between old and new, FJMT minimizes the impact of new structure on historic structures through innovative engineering. The entire structure is precariously balanced on a small elevator core and four columns that run through the existing building. The white curved elements reflect the architectural expression of the new structure and differentiate it from the existing building. Above the heritage elements, the lightweight steel structure slopes outwards to support a larger floor. Inside the new building, the steel structure is articulated with bolted connections reminiscent of nineteenth-century steelwork. Steel beams protrude beyond the outer columns, creating a feeling of weightlessness. The ubiquitous ceiling tiles of office buildings have been eliminated to highlight steel, minimize waste materials and reduce embodied carbon.
The new structure is covered by a curved skin of seamless glass facades that use some of the most advanced glazing technology available. On the curved panels of the lower floor below the building, the glass curves in both directions, creating a smooth flow that accentuates the apparent buoyancy of the structure. In addition, all glass panels feature a linear, translucent ceramic frit pattern that provides protection from the sun’s rays, merging new shapes into a single, seamless volume.
In the groove between the old and new buildings, on top of the historic building, is a two-story rooftop garden, the landscaping creates a very livable space from which to enjoy the urban vibe of a vibrant, dense city. From here, the soffit of a transparent design at the top resembles a swirling cloud.
Solar-powered glass panels let in natural light and give the building a “weightless” feel without sacrificing energy-efficient climate control.
The ground floor lobby is accessed through a new curvilinear entrance built into the façade of the Heritage Warehouse. A cafe was built on the way to the core of the elevator. A series of curved glass bay windows lead into the adjoining two-story machine room, creating a dramatic space (“capsule”) where one can sit and alternately practice in both spaces at the same time. The planning agreement provides for the use of the computer room as an exhibition space, and the operator is responsible for the ongoing planning of artistic and cultural events. With the renovation completed, the space’s potential as a venue for large-scale events is exciting and highly valued.
The traditional floor is divided in two by a partition, forming a long, narrow floor with framed windows at the short ends. A small amount of glass minimizes heat loads, allowing the use of energy efficient chilled beam systems. Thoughtful interior layout keeps in touch with natural light. A mechanical ventilation shaft has been installed in the substation between it and adjacent 185 Clarence Street, this interdimensional space is glazed to create a vertical space for network communications and provide visual communication between floors.
Opening the party wall’s brick arches, the two historic structures merge to form a single office floor. Interior designers used ramps and small connecting stairs to subtly eliminate the difference between the floors between the two buildings, ironically shifting the floors partially to make the floors appear more connected. Built’s offices are located on historic floors, and the interiors, also designed by FJMT, showcase many sustainable features including airy green walls, mossy gardens, recycled materials, circadian lighting, and repurposed furniture, allowing it to achieve a 6-star GREEN STAR and WELL PLATINUM rating – the highest standard.
Two historic structures have been integrated into their party walls, with brick arches connecting the office floors.
Design decisions throughout the project focus on sustainability and carbon reduction. It is estimated that reusing existing heritage structures can reduce embodied carbon by 24% compared to new buildings. The base building has a 5-star Green Star rating and a 5-star NABERS rating and encourages low carbon transportation options with 100% fresh air circulation, low emission materials, LED lighting, touchless water saving bathrooms, bike racks and terminal buildings. convenience while traveling. Built also removes 90 percent of construction waste from landfills. The construction company estimates that these solutions have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 28 percent over the building’s life cycle.
As our global population continues to grow, the most sustainable way to expand cities is to densify and leverage existing infrastructure. However, the desire for compact, dense cities often runs counter to the preservation of historic buildings, which in itself is a sustainable strategy. Substation 164 offers a very sustainable path forward without sacrificing heritage, density or beauty. All three of our wishes came true!
A final wish is that Built’s leadership in design philosophy, quality of construction and sustainability initiatives, as demonstrated in its own headquarters plans, will become the new normal for the industry. Unfortunately, the genie can only grant three wishes.
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The two-story machine room has been retained as an open gallery space, with new bay windows protruding between the traditional steelwork.
Floating above the straight brick building at ground level, the sculptural new building contains eight additional floors.
The curved entrance built into the warehouse façade is characteristic of FJMT’s heritage approach and all new designs are easily recognizable.
There is a cafe in the lobby on the way to the elevator core, overlooking the substation machine room.
Two historic structures have been integrated into their party walls, with brick arches connecting the office floors.
Solar-powered glass panels let in natural light and give the building a “weightless” feel without sacrificing energy-efficient climate control.