Thoughtful intervention transforms poorly organised building into an integrated commercial and retail facility providing occupants with an A Grade experience

Some existing buildings seem to function so poorly, it’s hard to imagine what the original design rationale could have been. But it’s also heartening to see what a huge difference can be made by a thoughtful intervention to such a building.

Sitting on the busy East-West bypass between Sydney’s CBD and the inner western suburbs, the 15-year-old Amex building at 60 Union St had some decidedly puzzling design features.

The development consisted of a three-storey terrace building and a seven-storey office tower, connected by a glass atrium roof. Open at both ends, the atrium was essentially a windswept tunnel.

It was also open to the basement level retail below, with a ramp across the void providing only constrained flow between the two buildings.

On top of that, the main entry to the building was almost concealed and opened into an under-sized lobby, while exterior finishes were hard, cold and unfriendly, resulting in little street appeal.

When Amex vacated the premises in 2016, building owners AFIAA tasked Custance Associates Australia with reinvigorating the building to align it with current market needs and demands.

Custance director Greg Prerau says AFIAA wanted an A Grade building that would compete with nearby CBD buildings, while also having its own character.

“We enclosed the atrium with a glazed facade at each end, and included operable louvres so the space was naturally ventilated,” says Prerau.

“The basement level retail was rejigged, and the void covered over with an atrium floor, creating an internal courtyard shared between the buildings.”

This gave space for a cafe at the front of the atrium, while further in is an arrangement of seats and desking for informal tenant or client meetings.

A feature of the atrium is a 9m-high green wall, which promotes a sense of calm and assists with cleaning the air of VOCs for a healthy environment.

More health considerations came with the creation of a state-of-the-art end-of-trip facility in the basement level 2. This provides a large bike storage, 102 lockers and drying cupboards, plus hospitality style changing rooms and showers.

Encasing this glazed structure in a custom-designed screen of aluminium tiles adds to its prominence, with the pattern and angles of the tiles carefully considered so as to create a sense of movement without the need for mechanics.

The end result of the changes inside and out is a transformation of the building into a highly attractive, integrated commercial and retail facility that now provides an A Grade experience for occupants.

Story by: Paul Taylor

Photography by: Marcus Clinton; Mark Syke