Quay Quarter Tower: The world's first upcycled skyscraper
3XN’s 206-metre, 49-storey Quay Quarter Tower is a once-in-a-generation project. Located in Sydney’s Circular Quay, the tower “upcycles” the existing AMP Centre tower. Built in only 1976, the AMP Centre was nearing the end of its usable lifespan. Rather than tearing it down and starting over, the project team set out to reach an ambitious goal: to reuse as much of the existing building as possible and set a new standard for adaptive reuse in architecture.
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Adaptive reuse in a modern high-rise
Quay Quarter Tower, located close to Sydney Opera House, eschews the conventions of a traditional, commercial high-rise. Focusing on environmental, social and urban sustainability, the tower is arranged as a vertical village, formed of community clusters that encourage interaction to activate the spaces and bring the building to life.
The radical sustainability strategy for the building included upcycling the existing tower, retaining 65% of the previous tower’s beams, columns and slabs, and over 95% of its existing core, resulting in an embodied carbon saving of over 7,500 metric tons in concrete alone. Today, that goal has been achieved, resulting in an embodied carbon saving of 12,000 tonnes (the equivalent of 35,000 flights between Sydney and Melbourne). The design adds approximately 45,000 square metres of new construction, primarily on the north side of the building, by grafting on new floorplates to the existing slabs. It’s façade also has an external sunshade hood, which blocks 30% of the solar radiance, reducing mechanical loads and eliminating the need for internal blinds for thermal control.
The 206-metre tower comprises five shifting volumes stacked on top of each other. Each volume is arranged around a central atrium that accommodates shared amenities and social spaces, encouraging people to connect and interact over multiple floors. The rotation of the volumes also optimises the changing views as the building rises, with lower volumes turning away from the adjacent building to face the active streetscapes of the surrounding neighbourhood. Higher floors twist towards the world-famous panorama of the harbour, opera house and botanical gardens. By dividing the building into five separate volumes, the best of both worlds is achieved: an optimal balance between intimacy and connectivity.
A new podium adds community value to the neighbourhood by providing retail space and a publicly accessible roof garden that invites casual get-togethers. Offering an unexpected retreat in a busy urban district, Quay Quarter Tower helps to revitalise and attract people to this previously overlooked neighbourhood.
“Mid and late 20th-century towers are reaching the end of their usable lifespans. We know that we can no longer demolish and build the way we have in the past – that we must instead extend the life and potential of the buildings we already have. This is the most essential definition of sustainability in architecture – and the driving force behind Quay Quarter Tower."
About 3XN
3XN is an architecture practice founded in Denmark with a global commitment to innovative, sustainable, and impactful design. With offices in Copenhagen (HQ), Stockholm, Sydney, New York, London and Amsterdam, the firm is comprised of nearly 150 individuals who bring together a rich diversity of cultural backgrounds, perspectives, and specialities. 3XN’s international outlook and makeup enrich their collaborative culture and multi-dimensional approach to design.