Choi Studio's Design Excellence competition winning scheme for a new mixed-use, retail, residential, and commercial tower in Parramatta.

Underpinning our design response was establishing an understanding of what high density developments in Sydney’s Second CBD currently look like and set forth how we might subvert those preconceptions to create a better residential, commercial, retail, and public outcome. The design proposed a reimagining of the site from a ‘back door’ to the ‘front door’, creating an entrance marker to the city providing significant public and commercial value.

Designed as a building in the round, our response to the residential component of the project was to ensure unique views were captured and framed for all apartments. The form fans out to the context addressing both key arrival views as well as inner urban axes. This move distributes a greater number of apartments across the primary arc of view whilst concurrently providing greater quality of light and air to higher number of dwellings - bringing amenity for users deep into the plan.

The commercial component of the design focuses on a site specific response to the context. Its unique parameters, directly facing large green spaces in Parramatta, coupled with the limited footprint of the massing, set the scene for creating a distinct commercial offering. Given the small floor plate, in order to attract the desired tenants there is opportunity to take advantage of the frontage to the park and proximity to the river and CBD, and create a flagship building that is a benchmark in sustainability, well-being and connection to Country.