Sorrell Street, Parramatta

A communal spine, both physical and visual, connecting community and precinct

Challenge

The Sorrell Street site is situated in a prime location forming the junction between the city and the emerging river precinct. Capitalising on the site’s key location and being the first proposed development on the northern riverbank, it was important to set a benchmark for connectivity and place making. Our proposed design seeks to establish visual and physical connections to the parks, foreshore, river and civic spaces, thereby building on the cultural history of the area, and integrating into the new emerging cultural precinct.

Insight

2 Sorrell Street creates a living experience that is uniquely connected to community, nature and its urban context. A central link from ‘street to river’ connects both the residents directly to the lobby, and the public to the ground level retail and commercial offerings. A selection of retail, hospitality and co-working offerings at the ground plane activate the public domain, blurring the threshold between the public and private spaces, creating a unique experience for residents and the public.

Solution

The buildings ‘green communal spine’ draws the landscape up through the building via a series of communal, semi-outdoor spaces catering for the diverse personality types across resident groups providing an opportunity to build community and connection through shared interests.

Apartment plates have been designed around clean and rational planning that maximises typical unit typologies. The larger, bespoke apartments plans face south, maximising river views and private terrace access. ‘ Flaring’ the tower form both enhances daylight access for the units, and introduces more dual-aspect apartments.

A selection of retail, hospitality and co-working offerings at the ground plane activate the public domain, blurring the lines between the public and private spaces, creating a unique experience for residents and the public.