A new meeting space for Parramatta will be defined by two V-shaped columns, each standing three storeys tall, and made of four individual pieces of steel collectively weighing 68 tonnes.
Designed by Allen Jack + Cottier architects in conjunction with Koichi Takada Architects, the V by Crown Piazza is part of V by Crown, a new $309 million, 29-storey residential building located on the corner of Macquarie and Marsden Streets. Just beyond its edge is Parramatta Square, the focal point of a multi-billion dollar revitalisation of its city centre.
Natural elements of granite and wood woven into this new space help create a seamless transition from the pavement, through the piazza, and into the building’s foyer.
According to Crown, contemporary materials such as perforated mesh used on columns, corners and edges will also inject a youthful feel, while curved horizontal timber beams divide up the piazza’s public space to create more intimate zones.
Designed with Parramatta’s growth in mind, V by Crown sits atop an 1840’s house identified as an underlying convict hut, a wheelwright’s workshop, and the cellar of the Wheatsheaf Hotel. The structures were uncovered during the early stages of its six level basement excavations, with the artefacts to be displayed in an archaeological showcase within the Piazza.
Now in stage two of construction, the project is due for completion in early 2017.
