FJMT’s latest Sydney city intervention, Liberty Place, successfully balances an urban site and heritage and sustainability considerations with commercial requirements to create a rich and considered architectural offering. Elana Castle reports.
October 14th, 2013
Following a “Design Excellence Competition” in 2002, architecture firm FJMT were awarded the brief to design and document Liberty Place, a multipurpose public, corporate and hospitality development in Sydney’s CBD
An amalgamation of five sites, the development includes a premium Grade 44-storey commercial tower, a penthouse apartment, a retail space centred around a new plaza, a pedestrian lane, refurbishment and additions to heritage-listed Legion House and a new three storey office building known as 167 Castlereagh Street.
The development succeeds in carving out a major new public space, reinvigorating a previously run down area of the city and bringing together a significant sequence of refurbished heritage buildings, public open space and streetscapes into a cohesive environment. “In recognition of the specificity of the site and its inherent attributes, the design comprises a carefully articulated assembly of elements – ground plane, street walls, tower elements and landscape – to create a unique architectural form,” continues McPeake. “The design emphasises the public domain with a richness of activity, life and spatial and architectural interest
The development of Legion House balanced the parallel challenges of heritage preservation whilst enhancing the building’s overall utility and environmental performance. “By adopting a contemporary design approach to new elements and juxtaposing new design with heritage elements, Legion House achieves an authentic response to the building’s heritage values,” explains McPeake.
Receiving little sun or wind, Legion House receives its energy from a process called biomass gasification. “The technology converts plant sourced materials into a combustible gas that is used to generate electricity,” explains McPeake. “This is effectively a carbon zero energy source as the greenhouse gases released in the energy production equal that absorbed in creating the biomass.”
Ultimately, the project combines a significant offering of premium grade commercial space with attractive public spaces and high quality retail. “The development provides an enabling, flexible and human environment for workers and visitors,” adds McPeake. “The through site link, associated lane way and public plaza provides a unique ground plane and entry to a commercial building which is also highly popular with tenants.”
FJMT
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
Suitable for applications ranging from schools and retail outlets to computer rooms and X-ray suites, Palettone comes in two varieties and a choice of more than fifty colours.
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
In the pursuit of an uplifting synergy between the inner world and the surrounding environment, internationally acclaimed Interior Architect and Designer Lorena Gaxiola transform the vibration of the auspicious number ‘8’ into mesmerising artistry alongside the Feltex design team, brought to you by GH Commercial.
The designers of physical retail and hospitality experiences are well aware that the digital presence of a project has rapidly grown in importance. With this evolution has come almost an entirely new understanding of how the physical and digital interact.
Sydney Town Hall has been revitalised to its former glory, following a four-year, $40m planning and construction period now complete.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
We spoke to Ketil Årdal, CEO of Danish green-tech design brand, Mater, as they unveiled the Alder collection at Milan Design Week.
Meet a design studio that takes the business of design to another level. Zenith’s in-house Design Studio makes all the difference and let’s find out why.