Major refurbishment and rejuvenation for a classic

Forty-Four Martin Place is not only in one of the most prominent corners in Sydney's global financial hub, but it is also one of the significant heritage assets that give Martin Place its grace and dignity in the heart of the CBD.

Built in 1936, with large-scale refurbishments added in the 1980s, this iconic building is made on a steel structure with concrete floors and concrete in case steel columns. As part of our work, we have now added additional storeys above the existing 11 storey structure and installing an ample atrium space through the middle of the existing structure extended the lift core.

This new refurbishment pay homage to the original designs whilst providing a prestigious office building that meets and exceed all the current standards in harmony with the heritage significance of the building.

Our team's expertise in heritage and structural engineering and re-use of existing structures was key to this project's refurbishment and construction works.

By respecting the original structure and working with the constraints of this classic building, our team of engineers created a large new skylight on the top, that brings natural light illuminating the existing offices down to the ground floor while also providing new additional offices space for all.

To examine the strength of the current 85-year-old structure, we run multiple tests and used advanced analysis techniques that allowed these major modifications to occur, allowing the architectural intent to be fully envisioned while reducing costs for our clients and minimising expensive strengthening works to the existing structure.

Client: Gwynvill Group

Architect: HASSELL

Builder: Buildcorp

Value: $80M

Completion: 2021

Images: CGIs and Extrablack

Sector: Commercial/Industrial

Services: Heritage, Construction Engineering, Structural, Civil