Sue Williams 29/7/2015
The controversial Sirius apartment building at The Rocks – loved by some, loathed by others – could enjoy a new lease on life with a modern makeover designed by one of Sydney's leading architects.
ebate has been raging over whether the 1970s building, lauded as a fine example of 'brutalist' architecture and originally constructed to provide affordable public housing during the period of the green bans, should be heritage-listed or demolished. But now the novel plan has already won backers, including from the original building's architect and developers, as well as stirring "interest" from one of its most ardent supporters.
Award-winning architect Chris Bosse, director of LAVA, an adjunct professor at UTS, and a key designer of the Beijing Watercube, has released drawings of his vision for the 79-apartment stepped block. He sees its future as a much more contemporary re-adaptive re-use with clipped-on curved balconies providing residents with a more "friendly" Sydney lifestyle.
"Rather than freezing architecture for an eternity, I think it's much better to adapt it to current circumstances," Mr Bosse said.
"Lifestyles and circumstances change, and buildings should change with them. This is a way of preserving a building in a fabulous location and giving it a whole new life. The social housing issue is an emotional topic and a completely different question; this is about the building itself."
The original architect of the building, at 36-50 Cumberland Street, Tao (Theodore) Gofers, is also enthusiastic about the proposal. "I think adding balconies would be a very good idea," he said. "That's much better than demolishing it which would upset me a little bit."
One of Sirius's greatest champions, Millers Point conservation activist Mary Sutton, has been shown the proposal by Fairfax Media and said she was also looking at it with interest.
In October 2014, a nomination for listing the Sirius Building on the State Heritage Register was received by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage from the National Trust of NSW, and earlier this month the Heritage Council formally notified their intention to consider listing the building and called for public submissions.
A spokesperson from the Office said that part of this process involved informing residents of the nomination and encouraging them to make comment, with the call for public submissions closing on September 8.
The Heritage Council believes the building may be of State Heritage Significance as a rare, representative and fine example of the Brutalist architectural style, especially in its use of off-the-form concrete and the stacking of cubic components to create a harmonious whole. It says it's also significant as an early example of rooftop landscape gardening in NSW and Australia.
But Mr Bosse's scheme has already been applauded by developers' lobby group the Urban Taskforce. Its chief executive Chris Johnson said he would not like to see the building either heritage listed – which would keep it in its current form – or demolished to make way for a new building. The Bosse design, he believed, was an excellent alternative.
"It's a way of upgrading the building to give it a lot more amenity, while still working with the original structure," he says.
The director (advocacy) of The National Trust of Australia (NSW), Graham Quint, however, has examined the design and has reservations. While he said the process of public consultation needed to run its course first, and only later could such schemes be considered, he was not sure how practicable such an adaptation could be.
"It's heartening that developers aren't planning a complete demolition of the building, but this is a little premature," Mr Quint said. "And if cantilevered balconies were added on, that could be a massive amount of work for every single unit and the cost could go through the roof.
"It certainly changes the whole character of the building, too."
RESOURCED: http://news.domain.com.au/domain/domain-news/architect-chris-bosses-plan-to-keep-the-sirius-building-in-the-rocks-20150728-gim85a.html
The controversial Sirius apartment building at The Rocks – loved by some, loathed by others – could enjoy a new lease on life with a modern makeover designed by one of Sydney's leading architects.
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| Architect Chris Bosse's plan for remodelling The Sirius building at the rocks. Photo: Supplied |
"Rather than freezing architecture for an eternity, I think it's much better to adapt it to current circumstances," Mr Bosse said.
 |
| The Sirius building at the rocks, as it is now. Photo: Supplied |
One of Sirius's greatest champions, Millers Point conservation activist Mary Sutton, has been shown the proposal by Fairfax Media and said she was also looking at it with interest.
"I like the idea but I'm not totally convinced – yet – but the concept is one that deserves further study. A heritage listing wouldn't preclude such a scheme, and this is a rare example of brutalist architecture, but it's certainly much more promising than a tall steel and glass structure in its place!" |
| The Sirius building is a classic example of Brutalist architecture. Photo: Steve Lunam |
In October 2014, a nomination for listing the Sirius Building on the State Heritage Register was received by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage from the National Trust of NSW, and earlier this month the Heritage Council formally notified their intention to consider listing the building and called for public submissions.
A spokesperson from the Office said that part of this process involved informing residents of the nomination and encouraging them to make comment, with the call for public submissions closing on September 8.
The Heritage Council believes the building may be of State Heritage Significance as a rare, representative and fine example of the Brutalist architectural style, especially in its use of off-the-form concrete and the stacking of cubic components to create a harmonious whole. It says it's also significant as an early example of rooftop landscape gardening in NSW and Australia.
But Mr Bosse's scheme has already been applauded by developers' lobby group the Urban Taskforce. Its chief executive Chris Johnson said he would not like to see the building either heritage listed – which would keep it in its current form – or demolished to make way for a new building. The Bosse design, he believed, was an excellent alternative.
"It's a way of upgrading the building to give it a lot more amenity, while still working with the original structure," he says.
The director (advocacy) of The National Trust of Australia (NSW), Graham Quint, however, has examined the design and has reservations. While he said the process of public consultation needed to run its course first, and only later could such schemes be considered, he was not sure how practicable such an adaptation could be.
"It's heartening that developers aren't planning a complete demolition of the building, but this is a little premature," Mr Quint said. "And if cantilevered balconies were added on, that could be a massive amount of work for every single unit and the cost could go through the roof.
"It certainly changes the whole character of the building, too."
RESOURCED: http://news.domain.com.au/domain/domain-news/architect-chris-bosses-plan-to-keep-the-sirius-building-in-the-rocks-20150728-gim85a.html
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