Commonwealth Bank Roof Terrace, Darling Square
The roof terrace at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia building in Darling Square defies structural challenges to provide a bountiful natural setting.
The building, home to 3000 staff, is a key component of the larger Darling Square precinct, located in Haymarket in Sydney’s southern CBD. The roof terrace supports extensive planting areas on soil profiles as shallow as 200mm, across a variety of custom plant beds and planters. The result is a varied landscape, a refreshing place of respite, and a green outlook for those in the adjacent residential towers.
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- Traditional owners & ongoing custodians of the land The Gadigal of the Eora Nation
- Client Lendlease
- Location Haymarket, Sydney, Australia
- Year 2016 - 2018
While the accessible area of the terrace is small, the space has been used effectively and efficiently. A suite of custom fixed furniture and table elements provide meeting spaces for small groups, while a larger zone to the west overlooks the extensive roof garden area and can be used for events. The decked area can be reconfigured for different uses: whole, or in two smaller parts for small functions and wellbeing initiatives such as yoga and meditation.
Deciduous trees positioned in raised planters provide shade from the high sun in summer, while allowing access to indirect light in winter. The planters also create a sense of enclosure, defining the seating areas within.
The planting palette for the roof terrace uses a mix of native and exotic species in carefully curated colourways. The diversity of the palette ensures that there are flowering plants all year round, and the range of forms gives texture to the space regardless of the season.
Deftly solving the the challenges posed by the structure and access, the design takes advantage of its constraints to create a space that is highly functional, flexible, and ecologically responsible.
- TEAM ASPECT Studios, Woods Bagot, Design Landscapes
- AWARDS 2020 AILA NSW Landscape Awards; Landscape Architecture Award for Small Projects
- PHOTOGRAPHY Simon Wood
