Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Adam Haddow of SJB Architects has led the design of 52 Reservoir Street, a mixed-use development that is a positive indication of the future of the workplace, welcoming self-expression and connections to the outdoors.
52 Reservoir Street has recently been awarded a 2022 International Architecture Awards Honorable Mention by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
A sculpted glazed brick façade faces Reservoir Street, taking cues from the rich masonry character of the area.
As the building rises to meet the parapets of its neighbors, it steps back to reveal a gently scalloping exposed concrete structure.
A new laneway formed between 52 Reservoir and its western neighbor allows existing windows to be retained and connects Reservoir and Foster Streets for the first time since the early 20th century.
An ephemeral installation of large format glazed panels by artist Marisa Purcell floats above the new through-site link, evoking a canopy of dappled light and shadow above the new thoroughfare.
A restaurant and bar occupy the ground floor and activate the laneway. Above, commercial tenancies enjoy uninterrupted, column-free floorplates, expansive glazing, and ample sunlight.
Landscaped courtyards and a generous rooftop terrace, equipped with a fully stainless steel outdoor kitchen, provide occupants with oases of green space amenities within a dense urban environment.
The basement offers visitors generous end-of-trip facilities, with special order terracotta mosaic tiles from Surface Gallery across all floors and walls, and bespoke wallpaper by Black Beetle adjourning the ceilings.
Vibrant blue San Selmo custom-glazed bricks have been cut and installed via a fixing rail system.
Behind the bright brick facade, gently curved concrete upstands have been cast in situ between continuous concrete columns, which run vertically uninterrupted.
The building adheres to a rigorous structural grid of 3.6 x 2.4 meters, to which all columns and window openings have been aligned.
A spine of precast concrete along the eastern side of the floorplate provides structural stability and contains all service risers, fire stairs, and amenities, leaving the rest of the floorplates entirely column-free.
In the skies above, a shared landscaped roof garden terrace is free for use for all tenants, providing a valuable third space with additional amenities and break-out areas.
Project: 52 Reservoir Street
Architects: SJB Architects
Lead Architect: Adam Haddow
General Contractor: Growthbuilt
Client: Cornerstone Property Group
Photographers: Brett Boardman
