Third.i and Toohey Miller have revealed they have received approval for their ‘Warada on Walker’ development in North Sydney.
Designed by Woods Bagot, the $650 million commercial project will feature 22 levels of premium office and coworking spaces. Each floor plate spans at least 1,150 square metres and is already generating plenty of interest from Australian companies looking to return to the office.
The design for the complex was conceived during the 2019 bushfires and is reminiscent of the waratah flower. The building has been optimised for post-pandemic work, due to being refined throughout the covid lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
Third.i Co-Founder and Director, Luke Berry says the developer is delighted to have gained approval after working meticulously with North Sydney Council and its Design Excellence Panel.
“We are just ecstatic to receive our development approval for Warada on Walker, a project representing a rebirth of sorts for North Sydney’s commercial sector and with the support of the Council, we see this building playing a major role in North Sydney’s return to the national stage as a genuine CBD of Australia,” he says.
Toohey Miller Founder and Director Nick Couloumbis echoes Berry’s sentiments.
“Our brief to Woods Bagot was to create a building that maximised the buildings generous floor plates, create as many open-air collaboration spaces as possible and design it within a façade that would inspire workers to return to the office and it’s fair to say that Woods Bagot and his team have certainly delivered on that,” he says.
“It’s been a quite enjoyable experience sharing our proposed project design with the council and industry partners and we can’t wait to bring the WOW factor back to North Sydney’s skyline.”
The tower will contain 73 car spaces, 156 bike spaces and space for 12 retail entities. A space in the basement as well as a co-working space that features a full-size amphitheatre is also included within the design. The rooftop features a 1,000 square metre garden with unobstructed views of the CBD. Warada on Walker is being built to 6-star Green Star standards and hopes to achieve a 5.5 environmental rating.
A link through the site from Walker St to Little Walker St will celebrate the theatre of the building featuring creative landscaping and increasing amenity to the public domain. It will create a new high-quality public space for North Sydney and a clear address for Warada on Walker and tenants.
“Sydney hasn’t had a project like this in quite some time and will easily be one of our legacy projects we’ll remember as we make our way out of the pandemic world,” concluded Mr Berry.
JLL has been appointed as the leasing representatives for the project. Construction and demolition works are estimated to begin in late 2022 with the project scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2025. Half and full floor level offerings available for rent are set to hit the commercial market later this year.
