tony owen partners: danks and bourke strata building, australia

‘danks and bourke strata building’ by tony owen partners, new south wales, australia all images courtesy of tony owen partners

danks street is part of a vibrant nieghborhood on the rise just outside of sydney, australia. the former industrial area is quickly becoming a space for architectural sophistication, most specifically within the live/work typology. the distilled brutalism of 1960’s concrete warehouses are being replaced by the likes of the new danks and bourke strata commercial building by local firm tony owen partners. characterized by sinuous metal louvres and bold swatches of color, the building is in keeps with the artistic precinct and provides a thriving cafe and retail district. the ground floor is an extension of the commercial offices over the two-level, 4000 sqmeter space. the architects sought to explore new territories in office design, preferring smaller strata tenancies around shared lounges, meeting rooms and other facilities that work more like modular pods than gridded spaces.these versatile areas have glass walls at the front and rear, polished concrete floors and furnished private balconies. the deep building was alsohelped by a central void space which created a trafficked courtyard with ample natural light. the avant-garde sculptures, metallic surfaces, frosted glass walkways and twin tangerine glass conference room boxes work in conjunction with the fluid lines of the exterior, which is made up of twisted metal sun louvers that change color from different angles.

the facade shoes the fluid metal louvres punctuated by expanses of glazing and the first floor of retail

the central void provides ample interior light

retail arcade

lounge area

a cafe adds to the burgeoning scene

night view of the facade

sinuous lines continue in the staircases

interior graphics compliment the facade

louvers change color based on their viewing angle

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