The Chatswood Concourse designed by fjmt, is the third largest retail centre in Australia after Sydney and Melbourne and required a facade design which would respond to the complex nature of the retail activity that takes place within.
Matthew Todd, co-project architect at fjmt said the client’s preliminary brief required a design which would be iconic in nature.
"The complex is conceived as an organic sculptural form opening, embracing and defining a new public place that is raised on a stone platform. Ribbons of natural aluminium wrap the upper building forms creating silent surfaces amid the visual and acoustic noise of Chatswood's retail core."
The primary feature facade ribbons are Alucobond ‘NaturAL’ 400 metal composite panels with anodised trims which was Todd's favourite product used. Other metal cladding includes ‘Bronze Metallic’ and ’Dark Grey Metallic’ by VitraGroup.
For the podium, the sandstone cladding is Gosford Quarries ‘Gosford Buff’ with a gang sawn finish.
Todd says that sustainability of the façade involved passive shaded areas.
"In terms of design, the plywood brise soleil facades function as passive sun-shading devices by excluding direct sunlight at certain periods during the year. Regarding materials specification, the Alucobond is a Verified Ecospecifier product, and its durability, recoverability and recycling credentials weighed heavily in its favour."
The metallic protective outer 'shell' opens to an unexpected and contrasting warm interior.
This is made visible via a series of picture windows each detailed as a ‘brise soleil’, in angled plywood planes, that reveal that the performance venues forms are all timber lined in Rock Maple veneer.
Damian Murphy, technical director at Aurecon, says that the company provided the façade consulting on the Chatswood Concourse and were needed for the depth of design consideration and engineering requirements knowledge.
"We are typically required because façade contractors do not necessarily provide the depth of design consideration in relation to overall performance and architects are not across the detailed engineering requirements and behaviours of materials. The specifications and designs that we develop are effectively a bridging element to allow the various solutions to be developed appropriately."
