Crown Group's design full house for Sydney's Waterloo
Crown Group's intentions for a sizeable tract of Waterloo land have become clearer, with five separate development applications now before City of Sydney.
Most notable is the exhibition of Building C which is 44-48 O’Dea Avenue's largest intended building. Already flagged by the developer earlier in the year, Building C combines the design talents of Koichi Takada Architects with Japan-based Kengo Kuma and Associates.
The distinct 20 storey tower includes a cantilevered infinity-edge pool atop the building, gym and community room. Externally the facade is laden with greenery with the intent of emulating a stacked forest.
The tower includes 153 apartments, split between 11 studio, 42 single, 84 double and 16 triple bedroom configurations. 123 vehicle bays are included within 4 basement levels.
On the design, the architectural partnership provides the following commentary:
The building form creates a gentle and responsive transition from the tower to podium creating a better urban relationship to the lower scale developments within the immediate context.
The use of wood look battens across the facade creates a high level of articulation and dynamism along the entire building length. The warm and natural material pallete is used throughout the building in order to create an intrinsic connection back to nature and is evident through the resort style amenities for the residents.
The relationship to nature is further strengthened through three predominant landscaped areas in the building. The design brings a high quality and architecturally responsive aesthetic along the entire streetscape and a new iconic gateway to the heart of Waterloo.
Simultaneously plans have been released for Crown Group's fifth and final instalment of their Waterloo development. Silvester Fuller's design for Building A will consist of 40 apartments within a 5 storey golden-laced edifice.
5 studio, 12 single, 19 double and 4 triple bedroom apartments are included above retail space and two basement levels for 38 vehicles.
Silverster Fuller say:
The building is conceived as a community of dwellings connected by communal spaces. Its architectural identity celebrates the intersection of Archibald Avenue and Lachlan Place as an expressed front door and vertical connector, linking the Entry to the Communal Open Rooftop above.
The external connecting stair is a marker defining the building entry and connection to the rooftop garden. Creating a naturally lit and ventilated vertical circulation experience reinforces the wellness principles which underpin the design strategy.
With all five projects at planning, Crown Group are looking to add as many as 388 apartments over their O'Dea Avenue site.
The collection of buildings seemingly hold a similar architectural language in style and colours, although as has been noted the buildings express their own "clear identity within a collection of individual buildings designed to balance diversity with a sense of place."
Crown Group's Waterloo precinct will slot in behind a number of other Sydney projects the developer has in progress. Marquee projects Arc by Crown, Infinity by Crown and Castle Residences are at construction, leaving Eastlakes Live at sales and Waterfall by Crown as forthcoming projects.
