The $125 million boutique development at 85 Macquarie Street, Parramatta, has been heralded as a “major visual landmark.”
Prominently located in Parramatta’s vibrant civic heart and directly overlooking Centenary Square, the 13-storey building officially opened on May 23.
Delivered by Holdmark Property Group and designed by Architecture firm TURNER, the new tower features four ground level retail outlets and 11 office levels above, with the topmost level enclosing plant rooms.
TURNER Associate Director Claire Mallin said 85 Macquarie Street makes a significant contribution to Parramatta’s rapid uplift as Sydney’s new, secondary CBD.
“The building’s contribution to the precinct and its urban response will undeniably become an important visual marker for Centenary Square – and what Centenary Square will potentially be known for in the future,” Mallin said.
TURNER said the design of 85 Macquarie Street serves as an important visual transition in the contrast between Parramatta’s heritage buildings and its future commercial presence.
“It brings a positive relief to the skyline in mediating the heritage response with commercial uplift in the area,” Mallin added.
TURNER said its competition-winning design was influenced by the heritage forms which bookend the site, including the existing church, the town hall and Murray’s Building.
“Bringing people back to the workplace is challenging,” Mallin said.
“The priority in terms of attracting tenants is ‘employee wellness’ and enabling access to natural light and air across the floorplate.”
The building form responds to the solar plane with a series of terraced balconies to the top-level office floors.
“These tiered, biophilic outdoor spaces – unseen in traditional commercial spaces – have been prioritised and serve as a major drawcard to entice workers back to the office,” Mallin said.
The building will provide on-site cafés and restaurants, a concierge in the lobby and connectivity to public transport, including the soon-to-be-opened Parramatta Light Rail.
A four-storey colonnade through the ground plane features a 30m long mural and symbolic sandstone wall engravings by Indigenous artist and philosopher Shane Smithers and collaborating artist Sakina Reijners.
The public art intervention, titled ‘Same, Same, Different’, references the Dharug creation stories and invites the viewer to compare and contrast similar concepts in the world around them.
“This is without a doubt one of the most successful parts of the building,” Mallin said.
“The engravings will serve as a strong conversation point on the building using symbols from different religions and comparing them to the Indigenous belief system to say: ‘let’s acknowledge the past and celebrate Parramatta’s multicultural roots and move together as one’.”
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.