SIRIUS – Sydney, Australia

Where the Harbour Bridge meets the edge of Sydney Harbour, sits an architectural icon.

Sirius was built in the 1970’s as Housing Commission building, and then sold in 2017 for private development amidst controversy. It’s on its way to being transformed with great sensitivity, for the 21st century in the hands of BVN. With a design that takes all its cues from the original building and pays homage to its architectural legacy.

BVN is renowned for taking a very considered approach to adaptive design. Taking old or heritage buildings that have history of their own, and transforming it for today. With Sirius this has been particularly important.

And it’s already winning accolades with the residential building shortlisted for the 2021 World Architecture Awards on the basis of its design and development process so far. This is a serious nod from the international design community and an indication that BVN’s integrated and holistic design is setting a world standard.

The design team is led by Phillip Rossington, Peter Titmuss and Sally Campbell. Together they are re-imagining Sirius as a harmonious and spectacular harbourside icon.

“We saw in Sirius the opportunity to retain, restore and reimagine,” says Phillip Rossington, BVN Principal and Architect. “It’s an iconic piece of architecture and Sydney history. Our design pays tribute to this in a very tangible way.”

Aligning old and new is the hallmark of BVN’s designs for Sirius. Firstly it retains the original proportions and materials - the entire existing concrete façade will be restored. And secondly it builds on this - new (recycled) copper pods are a modern interpretation of the concrete modules. The original concrete speaks to the building’s history, and the new copper responds with the design language of today.

“We’re going to breathe new life into this building” says Peter Titmuss, BVN Principal Architect.

BVN is also designing the majority of the interiors for the 76 apartments as well as the residential lobbies, green roofs and historic Phillip Room. They’re joined by renowned UK interior designer Kelly Hoppen who is working alongside BVN, designing some of the other spaces. This integration means the overall aesthetic for Sirius will be well integrated from top to bottom and from the inside out.

The inside of the (largely split level) Sirius apartments are sculptural. Taking cues from the building itself, concrete and copper sit side by side, playing on the contrast between raw and polished, and creating very tactile spaces. Spectacular windows will bring Sydney Harbour right inside. Special patterns within the timber flooring replicate the brutalist lines of the building’s exterior.

“It’s not just about making something beautiful. It’s about making something meaningful,” says Sally Campbell, BVN Principal and Interior Designer.

The green rooftop is designed as an urban oasis amidst the buzz of the harbour city. It ties together the entire property where greenery will be allowed to grow freely around the building. The extensive greenery also provides a visual link between Sirius and the public spaces of The Rocks nearby. The BVN team are working closely with 360 °Landscape Architects on creating outdoor spaces that mirror the very considered sense of intimacy, and the lushness, of the Sirius interior spaces.

A team of 35 including project managers, architects, interior designers, builders, landscape designers, heritage consultants and more. Together they will build on the architectural legacy of Sirius and create a new harbourside icon on the Sydney Harbour foreshore.

Renders by BVN