With apartments now selling at Sydney Olympic Park’s Australia Towers II, the developers have publicised illustrations of the design competition runners-up for the first time.

When the first residential buildings at Sydney Olympic Park were planned they undertook a design competition, inviting three Sydney architectural firms to submit entries.

Architect Nick Turner was originally commissioned to develop the masterplan for the three-stage apartment complex and to design the initial tower, Australia Towers, which is now built and fully occupied (pictured below).

For stages II and III of Australia Towers a formal design competition was held.

Architectural firms Bates Smart and Tony Caro were invited to take part along with Turner, who partnered with the Singapore-based WOHA.

All submitted markedly different, visions for ATII and ATIII.

The judging panel consisted of six people — three representing the developer Ecove, and three appointed by Sydney Olympic Park Authority. Peter Mould, the NSW Government architect, chaired the jury.

The judging considerations included:

  • local context
  • building height, massing and form
  • view corridors
  • community uses
  • residential amenity
  • sustainability, and
  • architectural expression and articulation

After many weeks of consideration, Bates Smart was awarded the contract for ATII and ATIII.

Bates Smart's winning entry

The runners-up entries of Tony Caro and Nick Turner/WOHA also make interesting viewing

Entry by Tony Caro

“Few suburbs in Australia have been designed with so much care and Government funding as Sydney Olympic Park so it is vital that everything built here is of the highest quality,” said Sue Ballesty, the marketing manager of Ecove.

“The pressure was even greater on the architects in the Australia Towers competition because it is the first residential development within Sydney Olympic Park and the design had to set the bar high.”

Entry by WOHA/Turner

Bates Smart took its inspiration from the iconic geometry of the nearby stadia and designed ATII and ATIII in an elliptical shape. As well as looking spectacular, the buildings are environmentally-sound and ecologically-efficient.

“We’ve given the buildings ‘gills’ so that they can breathe,” said Philip Vivian, a director of Bates Smart.

“Vertical slots on the northern and southern sides of the facade encourage natural airflow through the apartments and the communal spaces.

“The design maximises light into each apartment, and horizontal sun-shading bands circling the building in varying depths provide added protection to the north.”