8 Chifley: 2013 Winner

The SKYDB Awards recognize high-rise buildings that unite architectural quality with practical performance, and 8 Chifley in Sydney was selected as the 2013 SKYDB Awards Winner.

The 140-meter office building is lifted above a five-story open space that extends the pedestrian area around Chifley Square. Its work floors are grouped into two- and three-story vertical villages, each with shared spaces that connect neighboring levels. A larger communal floor at level 18 divides the tower into two principal sections.

The service core is placed on the southern edge, leaving broad office floors open to daylight and views. External shades and clear glazing reduce heat gain without giving the elevations a uniformly dark surface. The award recognizes an office tower that treats circulation and shared space as part of the architecture rather than as leftover areas within a sealed floor plate.

Architect: Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and Lippmann Partnership