• Image Copyright Tony Owen Partners, John Gollings Photography

    Image Copyright Tony Owen Partners, John Gollings Photography

  • Image Copyright Tony Owen Partners, John Gollings Photography

    Image Copyright Tony Owen Partners, John Gollings Photography

  • Image Copyright Tony Owen Partners, John Gollings Photography

    Image Copyright Tony Owen Partners, John Gollings Photography

  • Image Copyright Tony Owen Partners, John Gollings Photography

    Image Copyright Tony Owen Partners, John Gollings Photography

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Colour in Architecture

2020 WAN Awards entry: Mosaic Apartments - Tony Owen Partners

Mosaic Apartments by Tony Owen Partners is an entry in the Colour in Architecture Category of the 2020 WAN Awards

by Copy taken from 2020 entry 15 June 2020 2020

The Mosaic Tower is a 14 Storey mixed use residential/commercial building designed by Tony Owen Partners. It consists of a 4 storey retail/commercial podium with 37 units above. The site is located in Sydney’s Sussex Street. This precinct is the home of historic masonry warehouse buildings. The rule in heritage infill is typically to not attract too much attention. But the Mosaic Apartments seeks to ‘fit in’ by making a colourful statement.

Sustainable Principles: The constrained site is overshadowed by surrounding larger buildings. This presents a challenge for a residential building to access solar amenity. We used parametric modelling to solve this problem. Each portion of the façade receives sun at different times of the day. We conducted studies of the angles and direction of the sun at different times, even reflected light. We angled each window bay is separately according to the direction of sun at the time it received the most.

The Mosaic effect is reinforced by coloured side panels which frame the windows and enhance the facets. The result is an urban sculpture which reinforces and enlivens the urban streetscape. The masonry podium is similarly a marriage between this parametric geometry and surrounding traditional masonry entry portals.

The main lobby incorporates large areas of off-form concrete which compliments the masonry entry portals. The main ceiling is back-lit glass to dramatically bring additional light to the space. A feature wall reinterprets the faceted geometry in illuminated sandstone. The lobby includes a café/bar which further enlivens the space.

All the information about how to enter the 2020 WAN Awards is here.  

We are very happy to offer support so please don’t hesitate to email Georgia, WAN Awards Event Coordinator with any questions at [email protected].  

Last year more than 40 countries took part in the WAN Awards with strong showings from Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. And we saw some truly outstanding projects, take a look at the winners from last year here.

Tony Owen Partners
Australia

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