New Zealand Commercial Design Trends Series NZ Commercial Design Trends Vol. 35/02C | Page 78

Project
U60
Location:
Pyrmont, Sydney
Architect & interior designer:
Custance Associates Australia
FRESH PERSPECTIVE
By completely reinvigorating internal facilities and external features, Custance
Associates has transformed U60 into an attractive and highly functional
commercial space that’s attuned to the new generation of office tenants
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
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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
Below:Renovation of U60 in
Pyrmont, Sydney by Custance
Associates Australia has greatly
improved the building’s street
appeal, entrance and lobby. It’s
also transformed the atrium
between the seven-storey tower
and three-storey terrace building,
from a windswept tunnel to an
attractive and functional shared
space for tenants.
Right:An array of aluminium
tiles screening the new glazed
lobby of the terrace building
were arranged to give a dynamic
presence to the prominent corner
of the development.