The Bay Centre is a six-storey A-grade commercial office development by Mirvac on Pirrama Road on the eastern side of the Pyrmont peninsula adjacent to Sydney Casino at Darling Harbour. It is clad in polished reconstructed stone precast concrete.

HPA Project Director, Ara Tchorlian's design intent was to provide a solid masonry building reminiscent of the Pyrmont character which would provide a transition between the adjacent Gateway residential building and the Casino. The concept was solid masonry horizontal spandrels and vertical columns framing the glazed openings.

The north, east and western facades are layered with horizontal sun-shading elements. The facade is modulated with the use of strategically positioned balconies creating occupant amenity and single and double storey recesses creating a dramatic play of light and shade to the building elevations.

Hanson supplied 2,300 square metres of highly polished facade units in over 300 spandrels, column claddings and parapets. There were also 200 off 75 mm thick wafer panels, to clad the walkway over the monorail.

This was a difficult precasting project. All arrises were sharp and panels, including curved units, were polished on all exposed faces. Panels were generally divided into squares approx 700 by 700 by the use of false joints.

The coarse aggregate used was South Australian Feldspar with Feldspar dust, Botany sand and Blue Circle off-white cement providing the fines. The Feldspar is ideal for polishing and provides a durable and easily cleaned surface.

The architect's detailing extended Hanson to the limit technically. Sharp edges, curved polished surfaces and polished thin panels are all features that production managers like to avoid but here they were necessary to achieve the desired result. It was most important to have a good erector involved as, with a firm less experienced than LW Contracting, the delicate edges and surfaces may not have survived so well.

Australia's architectural precast industry has an excellent reputation which has been honed on projects from the Opera House to No 1 Martin Place. The Bay Centre pushed some of the boundaries a little further and is testament not only to the architect but also to the affordable quality available from our architectural precasters and from Hanson in particular.

Contact Details

To discuss whether we can assist you contact our estimating manager.

Phone: 02 9627 2666

Fax: 02 9627 5161

Email: precast@hanson.biz