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SJB ARCHITECTS
SJB ARCHITECTS
Adam Haddow
Principal Director SJB Architects
Historic buildings often have a a rich story story to to to to tell – the the history o of of previous occupants the the the sense of of place and where the the building stood culturally at a a a a a a a a a certain point in in in in time These
all add to to the the the character of of a a a a a a a a a a a a space and importantly to to the the the value of of the the the structure Adaptive reuse of these buildings is a a a a a a a a a balance between preserving their special character quality and significance while enabling change in in in in a a a a a a a way that sustains them into the future Principal architect Adam Haddow
is an an expert in in in adaptive reuse of heritage buildings and leads the the team reimagining the the former Christian Science Church into a a a a modern workspace His celebrated work work work includes the high-tech workplace redevelopment of 88 and 100 Harris Street
a a a a century-old Pyrmont woolstore and and industrial building and and and SJB’s transformational heritage and and modern tower fusion project
at 52 Collins Street
in in Melbourne’s CBD and Holt & Hart a a a a a a former ragtrade building in in Sydney’s Surry Hills amongst many others “262 Liverpool Street
is such
a a a a a a a remarkable building It has a a a a a a a wonderful sense of scale and and incredible volumes and and we’ve worked hard to celebrate that that ” says Haddow
Haddow
Haddow
Haddow
notes that that the ubiquitous open-plan office design o of of recent times is moving out o of of favour Emerging and and developing new industries are demanding more from their workspaces Often they are seeking more diversity not the the the one-size-fits-all approach prevalent in many modern structures “People increasingly seek a a a a a a a balance of large spaces with smaller more intimate layered architectural spaces They want community and engagement but also intimacy privacy and the ability to work alone In creating modern buildings we we have to imagine that smaller space When we we we work with heritage buildings we we don’t have to imagine that intimacy it’s already there “In 262 Liverpool Street
we have large open collaborative spaces like the Grand Auditorium but also smaller more intimate rooms rooms such
as meeting rooms rooms rooms offices libraries and cloakrooms o off the main spaces ” What SJB has achieved here is the creation of workspaces for those who revel in in diversity Some spaces spaces are new and and imagined others old and and recaptured or reinterpreted “We’ve been able to to respond to to the the richness and patina of the the the heritage building In the the the new additions we’ve thought about how to expose the the the building’s beauty For example the the new glazed box space floats outside of the heritage structure but looks back into it it ” says Haddow
“The contemporary spaces are sharp but they borrow from the the the craft of the the heritage spaces “The volumes the the the the quality of of the the the the light the the the the the clarity of of the the the the the original design along with the the the the coolness of the the the space and constant temperature within the the old church: it it it all overlaps with with the the the sharpness of the the new insertions “The former church in in keeping with archetypal Christian Science churches found worldwide is not an overly religious building More a a a a a a meditative space than an an ecclesiastical one it it it possesses monumental spatial qualities without the overt iconography of a a a traditional church “Though it it it is a a a a a heritage building it it it it it has such
a a a a a a a a a simple plan There’s a a a a a a a a a beauty and and a a a a a a a a a modernity to to it it it and and that’s been wonderful to to work with ” says Haddow
“It’s a a a a supportive building not an overly aggressive or or assertive one It will be be a a a a a a a beautiful glove for any business where you you can layer your own personality onto the building ” 71