Plans move forward on Central Place Sydney, duel towers with an AI-driven façade system

The development team for Sydney's latest mega-project, the $2.5 billion Central Place Sydney towers, has formally submitted plans for development approval. It's the next step in the development of the dual-tower property, which is expected to contribute to Tech Central in Sydney’s Central Business District.

Central Place Sydney will comprise 1.6 million sf of office and retail space and be one of the most sustainable commercial developments in Australia, powered by 100% renewable energy, with workplace environments that integrate nature and a range of amenities. SOM and Fender Katsalidis are designing the project.

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The design features two commercial towers, rising 37 and 39 stories, woven together by a low-rise building that anchors the development and enlivens the precinct at street level. The two towers are expressed as three individual forms in order to reduce their visual density.

The building podiums are distinguished from the towers above, each with a height, massing, and material palette that complements adjacent heritage buildings. Landscaped public spaces surround the buildings meant to enhance connections between neighboring communities and the city’s most prominent commercial axis.

The central building ascends in a series of tiers that are staggered to open up garden terraces and views at each level. The ground floor is highly permeable and accommodates a retail experience that flows into the plaza, while the upper commercial levels will be linked to the new towers to create campus-style floor plates.

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Each floor is conceived as a unique “neighborhood,” connected by winter gardens, mixed-mode environments, light-filled atria, and outdoor terraces. Workspaces will be highly flexible, with the possibility to be combined and expanded both within and between floors. The adaptable spaces will be able to accommodate technology companies as they evolve in scale and complexity.

The buildings will be ventilated naturally via operable windows and an automated, AI-controlled façade system. The façade system, which the architects claim is the first of its kind in the world, will use AI technology to shade the interiors from direct sunlight and reduce heat gain throughout the day.

Central Place Sydney will be the focal point for the burgeoning Tech Central precinct and civic space. It will include the new HQ for Atlassian, a building that is set to become the world’s tallest hybrid timber tower.

Dividing the outside environment from the interior, the building enclosure is one of the most important parts of the structure. The enclosure not only defines the building’s aesthetic, but also protects occupants from the elements and facilitates a comfortable, controlled climate. With dozens of components comprising the exterior assemblies, from foundation to cladding to roof, figuring out which concerns to address first can be daunting.

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HydroSKIN is a hyperactive façade that absorbs rainwater for evaporative cooling. Photo: Institute of Lightweight Structures and Conceptual Design

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