12
VISION 26 — HIGH LIGHT
in 1916 it set the new benchmark for CBD office space with
high ceilings, quality materials, finishes and appointments
and access to good natural light and ventilation… it will
once again be an exemplar for high quality office space.
Revealing the old bones of the atrium is very pleasing.
If you go back and review the old drawings and new renders,
it’s not dissimilar to what’s been built. Even though it was
a design construct contract and the builder changed
a few things, the fundamentals of the design have held.
With such emphasis on client privacy in legal practices
how is the push for open plan handled?
MH Open plan can obviously be conducive to collaborative
working, and can often be used to express the corporate
values of many companies in this day and age, however
almost always we find that the desire for open work
environments by tenants and owners is complimented
by a similar need for quieter, more private work spaces.
The low-rise floor plan at 5 Martin Place is dynamic, and
with such great access to natural light, can accommodate
a variety of work environments that have been cleverly
realised by Ashurst and their fitout team.
That mid-level glazing really draws daylight in a
spectacular fashion into what is a deep building.
MH The orginal 1933 building actually had two light wells,
which have once again been realised in the redevelopment.
Obviously, the central atrium has been reinstated, but also
a smaller, secondary light well within the original 1933 built
form has been reinterpreted via the new glass lift shaft.
The glass box enclosures above these light wells allow
natural light to travel right down through the building to
the Banking Chamber and Reception spaces, respectively.
MJ The use of the diagonal chevron pattern in the
skylights and tower, reference right back to some of the
original building’s glazing detailing. That was definitely an
inspiration for the design.
That use of glass sets up really interesting rhythms
and coincidences where light enters the bonnets and
produces those moments that