Extension to Central Sydney tower approved

The City of Sydney has approved a development application for a podium extension of an existing office tower in Sydney’s CBD after a proposal was submitted for an addition designed by FJMT.

The vision for the existing modernist tower – fronting Elizabeth, Park and Castlereagh streets in the city centre and opposite Hyde Park – is to turn it into an updated mixed-use building with more activated street engagement.

The site is located close to transportation precincts, including the new Sydney Metro Pitt Street Station, slated to open in 2024.The project will extend the buildingto the north, maximising the natural light access and eastern views to the Harbour.

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FJMT’s proposal for an addition to an existing office tower at 201 Elizabeth Street in Sydney.

Image: FJMT

“The proposal aims to extend the life of the existing tower with a new added podium that introduces a contemporary interpretation of the existing tower architecture, and that upgrades the tower lobby and courtyard to bring it up to date with the latest standards,” FJMT said in the development application.

The addition will add a further 8,600 square metres of office space , a landscaped roof terrace, and a revitalised ground floor plane with 900 sure metres of new retail space.

Developer Charter Hall said the endorsed development application will enable the “reinvigoration” and “enhancement” of the 1978 building, including the adaptive re-use of the existing tower and the reinstatement of an 11-storey podium.

The new podium will feature new sustainability targets, with a facade incorporating solar photovoltaic panels for onsite power generation. The development will target a 5-star Green Star rating; 5-star NABERS Energy rating; a 4-star NABERS Water rating; and Gold WELL Certification.

The developer said the project will be one of the first to commit to the City of Sydney’s 25 percent energy reduction targets in 2023.