Westpac building

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Westpac Place (commonly referred to as the Westpac Building) is a commercial tower located in the Sydney CBD's growing North-Western corridor.[1] The building is fully leased to Westpac and is the bank's Australian Headquarters.

City Sydney
Country Australia
Year 2003 - 2006
Height 166m
Floors 33
Architects Johnson Pilton Walker
Client Leighton Contractors (developer)

Westpac Banking Corporation (client)
Address Bordered by Kent, Erskine, Napoleon and Sussex Streets



Contents

[edit] Opening

The construction of Westpac place (previously known as the KENS Project) was completed in 2006 and officially opened by the Hon John Howard MP, Prime Minister of Australia. The ceremony took place on 4 August 2006 and marked the completion of the stunning project developed by Leighton Properties. The Prime Minister acknowledged that this building befits the status of one of Australia’s leading corporations and is a marvellous addition to the City of Sydney.[2]


[edit] Architecture

The architectural roof feature on top of Westpac place has become a major part of the Sydney City skyline. This feature incorporates a state-of-the-art barometer and is a key component of the overall composition of the Project. It was also a principal element of Johnson Pilton Walker’s Design Excellence competition winning design for the site in 2001. The barometer is a particular response to ‘place’, and alludes to the rich maritime history of the precinct. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries the site was at the Harbour’s edge, being the heart of Sydney’s vibrant maritime trade, and was the principal trade route into the city centre.


The architectural roof feature comprises

  • Two metal clad base elements with the larger of the two capped by an internally illuminated white glass tower. The glass tower is 25 metres high and 9 metres across.
  • Eight red LED illuminated bars (on the north and south faces of the white glass tower), the lowest representing 990 hPa, rising in 5 hPa increments to the top bar representing 1025 hPa. This provides real time information on barometric pressure changes, making a generous and unique civic contribution to Sydney’s skyline both day and night. Generally low pressure indicates inclement weather and high pressure with good or clear weather (although this is not always the case). As the pressure rises or falls, the LED bars will appear to ripple in an upward or downward direction respectively. The illumination level of the LED bars and tower is controlled by a roof mounted photosensor. The LED’s will be brightest in the middle of the day, and will start to smoothly dim before dusk, and after darkness will reach a low illumination level.


[edit] References


[edit] Futher Reading

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