161 Clarence Street Residential Tower ::

Project Description::

Located on an irregular city block this project, won in competition, includes 106 apartments over 25 levels. Ground floor tenancy spaces and a public garden link Clarence and Kent Streets.

The project consists of a tower and a low-rise podium. The podium, with stacked two-storey apartments, retains the warehouse character of its mid-town location while the tower responds to the various aspects of the void spaces surrounding the site. The brick and glass podium façade relates to the scale of Clarence Street while the Western copper-clad façade establishes a relationship with the heritage warehouses of Kent Street.

The defining element of the plan is the ‘Ravine’, a full height open space that runs through the entire section of the building providing sunlight, ventilation and city and harbour views to the North. The base of the ‘Ravine’ is designed to be heavily planted and a major public artwork is planned.

Horizontal breaks in the building section define a change in plan and provide mid level roof terraces, which allow light and air movement to penetrate to the centre of the site. Private glazed ‘wintergarden’ balconies provide a high level of thermal and acoustic control for the building’s occupants.