13 December 2011

9 Castlereagh Street by Harry Seidler & Associates

Connection, reinvigoration and equilibrium - Harry Seidler & Associates redesign a lobby of a former building to rebalance its unique atrium. Yelena Smetannikov has the story.

9 Castlereagh St is located along one of Sydney's primary boulevards, and was originally designed by Harry Seidler & Associates in 1989.

The new owner, Stockland, commissioned Harry Seidler & Associates to recreate a grand lobby and re-establish the sequence of experiences in the lobby, to strengthen its status as a high quality office tower and reconnect it back to the street.

"Having worked on the building as a youngster with Harry Seidler & Associates, I have always had a special attachment to this unique building, so it was stimulating to revisit it again with a new client," said John Curro, the project's head designer.

Ash trees line the entrance, continuing the boulevard rhythm along Castlereagh St, creating a sense of enclosure from the street.

Upon entering, one's attention is led upwards to the vast vertical space of the forecourt. Existing gardens were tailored to provide a greater visual connection to the lobby and provide more daylight into the unique, high ceiling space.

The forecourt leads to a gleaming 10m high glazed lobby. A focal point is the lift bank with granite wall and bright silver lift panels that reflect new transom lighting. The end of the lobby provides discreet entry to a childcare facility.

A significant Lin Utzon mural visually bonds the forecourt and lobby, beneath which is a café, offering a variety of plush banquette seating, communal tables, and lounge style settings.

Photography: Dirk Meinecke, Harry Seidler & Associates

"A fondness of the original design made it very difficult on one hand to consider alternatives [for the design], yet this familiarity also allowed a confident, strong approach to the new design," said John Curro.

Harry Seidler & Associates
seidler.net.au