Architect and Builder Offices Retrospective | Page 163

To mitigate against the wider than ‘ normal ’ width of the floorplates , the floor to floor height of the office levels is substantially higher than the norm - this allows for maximum daylight penetration through full height glazing , and also enhances the feeling of openness & space .
The Core The core is the connecting element between individual office blocks and the parking levels below .
It is essentially an indoor piazza on two levels . On the upper ( entrance ) level are the main reception and security , smaller formal and informal meeting rooms and visitors lounge areas . On the lower piazza level are the staff canteen , coffee shop , wellness centre , gymnasium and staff lounges .
Directly attached to the core is a free standing conference centre that houses the larger conference and meeting rooms and the executive office suites . The conference pod floats over a reflection pond to the side of the main entrance , while the executive office pod floats above the canteen and the outdoor piazza on the level below .
Unlike the office blocks , the core is not aligned to acknowledge the contours , but rather to take advantage of a very scenic bend in the river below , whilst simultaneously allowing for direct east and west daylight penetration into its space .
The main entrance is approached from the gatehouse via a dramatic porte-cochère roof over the drop-off area that features an integrated cascading water feature . This roof oversails the core from its origin in the north to its termination beyond the southern façade , where it is supported by two giant glass clad columns which metaphorically suggests fibre optic cables which are the actual conductors of the business . The portecochère roof itself is symbolic of the arrow in the Telesure logo , and is representative of progress and technological advancement .
The elliptically shaped core is an impressive , powerful space , 30m wide and 90m long , double volume at its northern entrance , and four volumes high on the southern end . The off-shutter finished concrete walls of the core are engineered to fully support its roof , and thereby render the space completely column free . Even the walkway bridges that link adjacent office blocks through the core space are engineered to span the core without column supports .
Vertical transportation is positioned at the centre of the core to provide links to all office and floor levels via escalators , stairs and a bank of scenic lifts .
The lower piazza of the core is home to an iconic 3 storey high artwork created especially for the building by the Spier Art Foundation . The piece will float dramatically from the western face of the wall , opposite the glass clad executive
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