Pyrmont Residential Tower

The exposed cut sandstone face of the former Paradise Quarry aligns with the proportions of a planned courtyard, inspiring the ‘Quarry Garden’— a sunken central space with a carved out pool, set within the sandstone shelf. A mosaic of endemic plantings and wet-dry transitions is incorporated into the design as ‘layered bushland’, with the ‘Quarry Pool’ becoming an extension of this landscape.

The mid-rise podium, built in demolished concrete, masonry and locally sourced recycled stone, wraps around this courtyard, with elevated street-facing apartments optimising solar access and cross-ventilation. The tower stretches above, smoothed and shaped in response to the wind and sun. Layered surfaces and tonal variation are expressive of sedimentary processes, and the façade is clad with natural and glazed terracotta panels, which subtly reflect the changing patterns of the day.

Water is celebrated through rills and rain gardens around the building base, along street fronts and through the central garden, filtering stormwater throughout. Vegetated podium rooftop apartments and gardens create a natural habitat for butterflies, bees and birds, and perimeter walls complement the character of Pyrmont. Like sandstone itself, the design acknowledges the passage of time.

After 100 years of taking from the Pyrmont landscape – defined by the resilient sandstone ridges and wet gullies of Gadigal Country – our approach looks to understand what we can give back; how we can renew these diverse micro-ecologies while creating a thoughtfully dense urban footprint, responsive to Sydney’s growing residential demands.