Originally designed as two, 200-meter-high office towers, an opportunity arose to modify the design into a more varied and integrated mixed-use development.  The modified design required the south office tower to be transformed into a hotel and serviced apartments while working within the limits of the already approved scheme.   

The reprogramming of the south tower largely informed the redesign. It called for a grand drop off area that worked with the main retail entry plaza to define a prominent presence within the CBD at the site’s southern edge. More public uses such as restaurants, ballrooms and meeting spaces added to the tower are expressed as two-storey glass boxes set within a second layer of exterior balconies and gardens framed by tall stone clad colonnades. This new layering enhances the entry experience while maintaining the rhythm of the overall facade.

Working with the original palette of stone, glass and metal, the team developed a unitised facade system that afforded the opportunity for a more sophisticated layering of the facade elements, while retaining an empathy with the three adjacent sites, which are already well into construction. This system also provided the ability to increase the quality of construction while reducing the overall construction time.

The project is due for completion in 2012.