T1 is an experimentation of a new dynamic sculptural form, inspired from a gymnast’s ribbon. This dynamic appearance lifts the building fabric and extracts textural elements from the surrounding area to capture the qualities of light, shadow, repetition, and movement. This mixed-use tower was created to enhance the current spirit of St Leonards as a bustling, flexible and progressive community.
The Sydney market demands a more imaginative and fresh approach to the aesthetic of the building. The modulation is carried out in three parts, firstly by separating the 800m2 of retail at Ground Level, and then split-ting the 48 residential apartments into two separate features. The lower dwellings define a base for the streetscape whilst the higher residences, being stylised with waves, overlook the distant view.
This economically driven innovation of using modulated pre-cast balconies permitted the viable application of a much smaller light-weight crane, thus cutting construction costs. By devising these seemingly minimum changes, we affected maximum impact in terms of design, development cost, price, and now-coveted apartments.