There’s a new yet familiar skyscraper in Sydney’s Circular Quay that’s craning necks and sending gazes skyward. Some aspects of the building may be recognisable to the area’s residents, workers and passersby, because it’s occupied the same address at 50 Bridge Street since the 1970s, yet over the last three years the building’s seen a remarkable transformation that’s made it a world beater.
Quay Quarter Tower as it’s known, is a result of major upcycling work and adaptive refurbishment, which involved demolishing the northern elevation of an existing tower and replacing it with a new steel composite structure that was constructed alongside and integrated into the existing building.
The subsequent design elevated the existing structure from a 45-year-old 45,000m² office building into a 89,000m² world-class sustainable commercial tower, and along the way provided Danish architects 3XN with BVN architects in Sydney just recognition, with the project winning ‘World Building of the Year’ 2022 from a shortlisted field of over 250 buildings globally.
The upcycling approach demonstrates what’s possible using the latest construction techniques and modern materials, and provides efficiency and sustainability benefits by maintaining sections of existing buildings that may have otherwise been demolished and replaced by all-new structures.
Steel construction materials such as Fielders KingFlor® RF55® have played a major role in the new Quay Quarter Tower development, according to Fielders Business Development Manager – Engineering, Marko Stankovic.
“Steel has been a massive enabler in this project – its strength, lightweight nature and versatility has allowed designers to create a remarkable building. The outcome could not have been achieved using traditional concrete construction methods,” Marko said.
“Specifying KingFlor® RF55® permanent formwork as part of the steel-composite structure has enabled designers to resolve large in-plane diaphragm forces and achieve floor cantilevers which are instrumental to the towers’ striking and twisting geometry, setting it apart from others in the area.”
KingFlor® RF55® permanent formwork is an excellent choice for high rise buildings, shopping centres and multi-level car parks. The profile provides superior composite performance thanks to its patented ReLok® corner embossments that work to create a mechanical interlock with concrete. It also features dovetail lapping ribs which resist lateral deformation of the deck in the formwork stage and enhance the profile’s spanning capacity with minimal propping requirements.
Marko said that the installer on the project, Santana Stud Welding, is an avid user of Fielders KingFlor® permanent formwork products due to the quality of products, unrivaled customer service from order to delivery, on-demand technical support – in the office or on site – and decking layout service provided by Fielders on large projects.
“Fielders has enjoyed an excellent long-term relationship with Santana Stud Welding and on this project, along with supplying the product we were able to add considerable value in other ways,” he said.
“The complex floor plate geometry meant that no two floors were alike – typically commercial floor plates are the same and repeated on each level. In this case they were all unique, so we developed bespoke decking layouts and provided cutting lists to better support the installer and builder, Multiplex.
“This approach meant that the KingFlor® RF55® arrived on site largely ready to go with only minimal trimming needed. On restrictive CBD sites, this is always preferable as there’s less wastage, there are fewer bins needed, there’s reduced site congestion, less imposition to neighbours and the public, and of course there’s improved safety which we all strive for.”
Quay Quarter Tower was completed in April 2022 with its upcycling philosophies and construction techniques likely to set a precedent for commercial building refurbishments of the future.
