Bates Smart have crafted a network of fine grain public spaces for this project, from the civic scaled Legislative Plaza that opens up and visually connects with Akuna Street, to the intimate Pocket Square near the corner of Constitution Avenue and London Circuit. A pedestrian laneway connects Constitution Avenue to the Legislative Plaza and the Canberra Theatre. Knowles Place will become a shared way providing vehicle access and a new pedestrian lane.
The building forms have been sculptured to create a dynamic backdrop to the new public spaces and enable them to respond to their contexts. The ACT Government Offices is expressed as three volumes with facade strategies that respond to their respective solar orientation and context. The commercial building is articulated as two stacked volumes, reducing its scale while expressing its functions.
The ACT Government Office has a dynamic presence on the corner of London Circuit and the Legislative Plaza. A sweeping stair connects the workers to the Business Centre on ground level and the Plaza Hub on Level 1, where they can start their day. Workplace floors naturally create three neighbourhoods around a central atrium. The atrium’s curved geometry dynamically connects the neighbourhoods. Hubs are located centrally to each neighbourhood and on natural paths of travel.
