2021-06-03
03 Jun 21

Woods Bagot revitalises 25 Martin Place

As part of its $170 million transformation, Sydney’s MLC Centre has a new name. The new name 25 Martin Place celebrates its location in central Sydney, and its central place in the city’s fashion, dining and business culture.  

Opened in 1978 and designed by visionary architect Harry Seidler, 25 Martin Place has been an architectural icon of Sydney’s CBD. At the time, the building was the tallest skyscraper in the Southern Hemisphere, an outstanding white beacon of concrete, granite and glass that propelled the Sydney skyline into the future. 

Forty years on, and following an extensive renovation for a new generation of customers, 25 Martin Place will re-open as a symbol of the city’s renewal, while holding true to the building’s integrity and legacy.  

Working with Harry Seidler & Associates Woods Bagot has designed the podium and retail redevelopment where the adaptive reuse of the existing precast architecture expression creates a distinctly new organic ‘ribbon’ uniting the development’s entire composition.  

Woods Bagot has built on Harry Seidler’s original design principles to deliver a contemporary precinct and revitalised public spaces for Sydney’s CBD. A highlight of the vibrant entertainment precinct will be a new dining experience that overlooks Martin Place, creating an al fresco setting for visitors to socialise and connect.  

On completion, it is estimated 25 Martin Place will generate over 300 new retail, hospitality, and theatre jobs and attract tens of thousands of locals and tourists to the centre of Sydney daily. 

It will deliver approximately 6,000 square metres of new and improved retail space across four levels, offering over 50 different retailer experiences, and is supported by the existing office tower. The project includes: 

‒ New luxury and premium retail on Castlereagh and King Streets 

‒ A new plaza food and beverage precinct fronting onto Martin Place 

‒ Improved connectivity for workers and visitors with a new commercial tower entrance from Castlereagh Street 

Credit – Max Dupain – Harry Seidler & Associates – Aug 1978

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