The Sydney CBD has undergone a resurgence of commercial activity resulting in an increased offering of new Premium and A-Grade office towers and 135 King Street is a prime example of such a repositioning.

Positioned at a threshold that defines the commercial and retail precincts, the building alterations reconnect with the public domain and its contextual history, while providing its tenants a premium lobby and third space.

A portal frame element acts as the primary organising piece and first layer of a hierarchically layered sandstone façade concept that is commensurate with the scale and proportion of the existing street building rhythm. This sandstone element is presented as a vertically scalloped form and pays homage to the contextual heritage that aligns the street - and is a nod to the modernist and brutalist form of the ever-enduring MLC centre directly across the way.

Bronze materiality used externally also transitions internally via vertically proportioned paneling that gently transforms into a large digital screen. This “ribbon” feature accentuates the lobby’s height and provides an opportunity for a playful kinetic expression and interaction, and from the outside, provides a glimpse of the internal mood of the lobby.

The strong proportion and scale defined by the elevational composition of the built form combined with the warm textures and layering of the external and internal materiality will enhance both the day and night condition, culminating in a reinvigorated presence for 135 King Street.