Tall & Urban News

FJMT has submitted detailed designs for a tower extension on a crucial corner in Sydney’s CBD for assessment by the City of Sydney. The 11-story, 45-meter-tall extension to the north of an existing modernist tower at 201 Elizabeth Street would reinstate a historic street wall in the city and improve the existing tower’s relationship with the street.

The existing tower, designed by Kann, Finch and Partners and completed in 1979, had a forecourt that “[broke] the strong corner definition with negative space,” FJMT said its reference design proposal for the project was submitted to the council in 2021. A low building occupied by a Starbucks café now occupies that space.

The proposal also aims to activate the street frontages with outdoor seating and planting to improve the on-street tree coverage. The design of the project is in line with the City of Sydney’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 aspirations and will also meet the city’s Planning for net-zero energy buildings strategy.

The retention and refurbishment of the existing office tower contributes to the reduction of embodied carbon for the project. “The new vision for the site is considered in line with the City of Sydney’s objectives since it promotes the recycling of an existing well-performing commercial asset,” the architects said. In addition, photovoltaic panels that also function as sun-shading on the northern and eastern façades will generate energy for the building.

For more on this story, go to Architecture AU.