The Darling Harbour Live International Convention Centre in Sydney, built by the joint venture Hassel+Populous, is a genuine transformation of Darling Harbour, a key area in the city of Sydney, through the construction of a complex of three public buildings that have given rise to the birth of an outright new neighbourhood.
The Convention Centre stands out for the large floor-to-ceiling windows and the iridescent whiteness of the building's façade made with Laminam ceramic slabs in 1000x1850mm size and 5+mm thick, applied in Oxide Bianco finish. Thanks to an exclusive layering technique, the Oxide surfaces reproduce the effect of oxidised metal that reacts to the atmospheric agents, to sunlight and to the passing of time, giving rise to unprecedented and sophisticated 3D effects.
The method of installation of the large Laminam ceramic surfaces devised specifically for this project was innovative and high-impact.
The ventilated façade uses a “hybrid” system, whereby the application through mechanical attachment is mixed with a structural silicone bonding technique. The surfaces are secured to the wall using a system of mechanical attachments on offset brackets: each slab overlaps its neighbour below and alongside it. The wall tiling is further reinforced through the introduction of profiles fixed in place with structural silicone.
This particular installation technique allows the surfaces to create a 3D effect which demonstrates how Laminam - owing to its light weight and pliability - can become a distinguishing feature of any architectural project.
Besides the façade, the large ceramic slabs were also used for a special false ceiling structure made with a ventilated system that begins inside the building and protrudes from it with a pointed extension.
