HASSELL’s $105 million office building for the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has won development approval.
The project involves razing a six-level office building and a two storey church hall to make way for the 10-storey tower that will have a bank and café on the ground floor.
The building is constructed of horizontal bands of frameless glazing, with “oscillating canopies” projecting randomly from each floor level.
A defining feature of the design, the canopies are white-edged, perforated metal soffits, which will be up-lit with integrated colour-up lighting to create a distinctive night appearance along with a degree of sun shading to the building.
HASSELL’s Adelaide and Melbourne studios worked on the concept, which was headed by designers Mariano De Duonni and Anna Fairbank.
The development assessment panel praised the design for its “permeable”, “elegant” and “inclusive” approach.
“The informality of the ground floor … offers a sophisticated urban space to all comers and is a physical manifestation of the Bank’s philosophical position - the communities’ Bank — without the need to revert to obvious suburban shopping mall imagery.”
The proposal had to overcome concerns raised by state heritage over an access arrangement in which service vehicles will reverse closely by a listed day school house of the Bethlehem Uniting Church. However, the condition of bollards was considered “reasonable” by the panel.
The finished building will be home to the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s 900 staff, who are currently split between three separate offices.
The proposal includes a 160,000-litre underground rainwater tank that will be used for toilet flushing and the designers are aiming for a 5 star AGBR energy efficiency rating.
Final planning approval is expected by the end of March and the building is slated for completion by 2012.
