Macquarie Bank Building, King St. Wharf
The Macquarie Bank Building at 1 Shelley Street King Street Wharf, Sydney is a commercial office building with a design solution that respects the more relaxed and uniquely textural environment of the cities western party edge.
The building has a unique interpretation of an external structural support system, a diagrid.This combined with a clear expression of the buildings function, technology, construction methodology and a finer grain of detail, texture and finish defines the look of the building.
The building maximises the opportunities available at this location, including the incorporation of an open northerly space edged with a late trading café restaurant in lieu of the traditional limited use ground floor lobby space. It is a building that is easily identified and found, with visual links from the approaching east-west city streets, the freeway flyover, the harbour and the western harbour suburbs.
The design takes the challenge of building over a partly constructed basement to create a structural support system unique to the location, and uses the opportunities of the harbour and site orientation to assist in achieving an energy efficient building.
The deliberate expression of the external steel diagonal structure wrapping the outside of the building is also done to minimise the internal structure and give maximum fitout and planning flexibility to the building tenants.This element, designed in consultation with ARUP, creates an immediately identifiable landmark, where its definition, scale and detail are slowly revealed on approach.The structural frame wrapping the form enhances this singular idea, creating richness and texture without the need for superfluous decoration.
The building is a workplace with many differing qualities.
The internal efficient and flexible workspace experience is enhanced through the creation of central or atrium based gathering spaces and bridges, with transparent glass lifts, establishing connectivity between all levels. Floor plates have an optimal depth which allows high levels of natural daylight to penetrate deep into the building, and for all work spaces to be located in close proximity to the building’s central community spaces.This visual linking of high and low rise spaces under the atrium roof creates a sense of engagement in the organisation for all staff wherever they are located within the building.
A landscaped northern forecourt by EDAW incorporates Anton James’ sculptural public artworks, which integrate basement exhaust requirements, and provide a strong front address, as well as appropriate natural sun protection for the building edge, café and restaurant.
Integrated and seamless sustainability was a primary project objective. ESD features, designed by Lincolne Scott, include passive chilled beam technology and harbour heat rejection to reduce energy levels required for cooling. Energy requirements are also reduced by incorporating daylight harvesting and using a performance coated double glazed façade with dot frit patterns to minimise solar heat gain whilst maximizing visible light penetration. The water efficient fixtures together with the harbour heat rejection system also significantly reduce potable water consumption.
The Green Building Council of Australia has awarded the building a 6 star green star “World Leader” rating.
The Macquarie Bank building was award 6 Greenstar rating. Tenant Fitout by CWA