The subject site centrally located in the heart of Sydney’s Central Business District (‘CBD’) bridging two key streets; to the site’s east is George Street and to the west is Kent Street. Its southern boundary fronts Albion Place, a public laneway.

The proposal offers a 44-storey mixed-use tower, comprising 21storeys of new residential apartments and 23 storeys dedicated to a new hotel. The podium includes with cinemas, conference rooms and pool facilities in the podium, retail tenancies at the ground floor, rooftop communal open space and 7 basement levels.

The site’s character reflects its inner-city setting, defined by a variety of built forms. These range from newer (1970’s onward) multi-storey commercial buildings built to their property boundary to a number of older, significant heritage-listed buildings. The area sits within an active retail and hospitality precinct containing a number of public and semi-public open spaces including Town Hall/St Andrew’s forecourt, the shopping arcade at Regent Place and World Square’s ground level retail podium. Additionally, the site is a short walk from the entertainment precinct of Darling Harbour.

The proposed building design will use the established typology of a tower rising above a lower height podium. The tower form is set back from the street frontages, allowing the podium (which aligns to the property boundaries) to take primacy and connect directly to its immediate neighbours and public domain. The podium features multiple active edges, including a hotel lobby on Kent Street, retail spaces on George Street and Albion Place, as well as a cinema and residential entry lobby opening up to Albion Place. Through the building’s refined proportions, its contextual massing, setbacks and its three active street/lane frontages, the proposal will integrate seamlessly with both the existing and evolving character of the area.

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Render: DARCSTUDIO