Sydney Open Day 2019: Baker McKenzie at One International Towers Sydney

The tallest of the three International Towers at Barangaroo, by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Tower One stands at 217 metres, and its 48 floors house a growing business community of blue-chip tenants.

As key players in Barangaroo’s ambition to be Australia’s first climate-neutral precinct, International Towers Sydney are among the most technologically advanced buildings in the country.

The towers are hybrids of world-leading sustainable engineering and workplace design, equipped with high-performance solar shading facades, 100 per cent fresh air during business hours, and connected ‘vertical villages’ between the levels to encourage a sense of community within the buildings.

Joining the Barangaroo community is legal practice Baker McKenzie, in a fit-out by Hassell that, like the towers themselves, is a hybrid – neither fully open nor fully enclosed. Office walls can be removed (or added) as needed, with no impact on the furniture layout or floor plan, allowing lawyers to choose from a variety of workspaces, and democratic access to light and views for all.

Having been spread across eight smaller levels at its previous address, Baker McKenzie now occupies three levels in Tower One, seamlessly connected by staircase – from where meeting spaces and breakout hubs are accessed. Celebrating the staircase is a kinetic installation by Australian artist Marion Borgelt, hanging through the three-storey void. Designed for collaboration and social gatherings, the large communal cafe enjoys panoramic views spanning from the Blue Mountains to Sydney Harbour and beyond. In every detail, it’s a workplace that physically represents the values of diversity, equitable use of space, and bringing people together.

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• Category: Sydney, Sydney Open Day 2019
• Tag: building, event, Sydney, Sydney Open Day

Posted by Chris Tham

Chris Tham is a co-founder of Visual Voyager Pty Ltd, the Principal Voigtländer Ambassador for Mainline Photographics and a Workshop Instructor for Mainline Photo Academy. She brings over 35 years of experience as a photographer to her role, starting with a Yashica rangefinder belonging to her dad, joining the Photography Club in school, and developing her own photos. More recently, Chris has been taking photos during her travels, and as a result has experienced some of the most interesting places in the world. Chris focuses on nature, street, and urban architecture subjects in her photography.

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