Architectural stairs embodying a digital art installation at Microsoft’s new Australian office are just one of the standout features of this incredible workspace.
Spanning over 10,000sqm in North Sydney’s tallest and smartest tower @1 Denison St, Microsofts new ANZ HQ design completely breaks the notion of a traditional workplace. Designed by the award-winning architect GroupGSA, the space offers a fully immersive experience to reflect a place of awe and wonder. Referencing the Australian natural landscape, the space includes a discovery journey of parametric timber walls, a tip of the hat to Sydney’s Figure 8 pools with a ceiling to represent the rippling effect of the water, and stone features that take a visitor right to Cradle Mountain! Add tunnels of greenery and the biophilic experience is almost enveloping.
Connecting the multi-level workplace are the architectural stairs. Unseen now are the enormously heavy steel structures and beams that form this stairway. Requiring specialised heavy duty gantry’s to lift these sections into place, the steelwork for the beams and stair structure weighed in at over 74 tons! Post install of the steel stair structure, these iconic stair flights were clad in Corian to complete the sculped look. Veering away from the archetypal internal office stars, this set of architectural stars also included built-in LED lighting and sensors, turning this stair into an illuminated digital art installation which runs continuously throughout all floors and references Microsoft’s digital code. The intelligent lighting is reactive to real-time events, such as weather and people movements, which raising the bar of technology workplaces.
The environment delivers a benchmark outcome for Microsoft in the context of environmental performance and wellbeing, embedded with strong biophilic references to benefit all users. Elevating the concept of collaborative workspaces and delivering an industry exemplar in the provision of focus space for quiet concentration work, the design raises the technology workplace bar.
About 1 Denison St
As North Sydney’s first Premium Grade commercial tower, 1 Denison sets a new benchmark as the tallest commercial building in North Sydney, standing 158 meters high. Perfectly connected both externally and internally, 1 Denison is surrounded by the shopping and services of a growing CBD. Right next door to the soon-to-be-built Victoria Cross Metro station, it will only take 4 minutes to travel to Barangaroo and 5 minutes to Martin Place.
1 Denison is also the new home to major TMT companies, such as : Microsoft, SAP, Nine etc.
See Stair Design
Microsoft, Sydney
Client: Microsoft
Builder: MPA Projects
Interior Design: GroupGSA
Photographer: Toby Peet
Location: 1 Denison St, North Sydney NSW 2060
Work Completed by Active Metal
Design drawings, stair and beam fabrication, delivery and installation of spiral stair structure, void balustrades & handrails, void trimmer beams, stair balustrade framing
