A tower inspired by nature and history by GroupGSA and Rafael the la Hoz Winner of the International Design Excellence Competition for 197 Church Street, Parramatta, Australia
The architectural concept originates from the building's location in the heart of Parramatta. Drawing inspiration from the urban context,heritage and the timeless Australian landscape,our proposal meets the challenge of shaping the transformation of Parramatta. The design is imbued with multiple layers of meaning and significance to generate a contemporary design of sensitivity and sophistication.
Inspiration: Towers are defined by their verticality. We searched for inspiration within the New South Wales landscape for a characteristic Australian element that could help us express this verticality, an element that establishes a link originating from its placement in the heart of Parramatta. We found our inspiration in the EucalyptusTree, a species endemic to the Parramatta area.
The Eucalypt is most clearly expressed in the design of the elevation, which abstracts the pattern of the bark of a Eucalyptus tree into a series of oval elements, staggered across its façade.
A historical legacy across centuries. The building is designed to enhance Parramatta’s public spaces by extending Centenary Square to embrace the base of the tower. The historic Murray Bros façade is retained above the ground floor, opening up a new street level plaza through which the public can circulate freely. A transparent roof provides shelter and allows sunlight to penetrate through to the public spaces at the foot of the towers.
The tower geometry follows the street network as well as responding to the diagonal pedestrian axis. The tower is aligned with the main roads and the Murray Bros heritage façade, making the connection of tower and ground a natural and effortless gesture. The alignment with the orthogonal urban context allows this logic to be applied to the internal floor planning of the tower.
A floor plan focused on resident amenity: Offsetting the tower geometry improves orientation and increases the number of apartments with views. Apartments enjoy views either to the Blue Mountains, the Sydney CBD, or both. The curved corners of each block emphasise and celebrate the quality of views available from the apartments. Living rooms are located in these corners, extending out into the sky and providing panoramic views from the rooms most used in the apartments to create exhilarating abodes.
A New way of living in the Australian sky: Residents enjoy diverse and high-end amenities befitting an iconic development,with communal areas at different levels. Facilities which include lounging areas, library, pool, spa, sauna, gym and change facilities culminate in the rooftop with uniquely spectacular panoramas of the Sydney CBD, harbour and ocean beyond.
GroupGSA, Rafael de la Hoz and the developer Holdmark are very proud of a result that captures the spirit of Parramatta as a modern city of global status that is enriched by its embrace of heritage.
