[COM] Ernst & Young Tower | 51m | 13lvls | Office

[Will]

Its a shame, at its streetscape view (eastern and northern sides) it is very pictureseque, but is sadly is let down by its skyline view (from the southern side) with the awful concrete and protruding boxes.

Great photo Urban.

I will never understand why the core was not located on the western side of the building. I would have thought that the building would be more attractive to tenants if the building had greater Victoria Square views.

[Brando]

Its a shame, at its streetscape view (eastern and northern sides) it is very pictureseque, but is sadly is let down by its skyline view (from the southern side) with the awful concrete and protruding boxes.

Great photo Urban.

I will never understand why the core was not located on the western side of the building. I would have thought that the building would be more attractive to tenants if the building had greater Victoria Square views.

...but what's the point if the GPO Hotel will just block them out in the future. I agree it looks damn ugly from Vic Square, but like i said, i don't think we'll see much of CC2 from the South side.

[Pants]

The GPO hotel will be built behind the existing GPO building, which will be retained in its current form (at least externally). Unfortunately, what you see is what we’re stuck with as a view of CC2 from the South.

Like Will said and like I’ve said before, what the architects have done is an absolute mystery.

[Ho Really]

...Like Will said and like I’ve said before, what the architects have done is an absolute mystery.

I agree with you guys. Is it because of the pods?

Cheers

[Pants]

The pods have no reference to the rest of the building and look like an afterthought, but the previous design where they were part of an all glass facade was at least passable.

The astonishing thing is that they moved the core to the southern facade, which will never be built out, rather than the western, which already has been, and decided to leave exposed concrete as the building's legacy to Victoria Square.

I'm sure there's a logical reason for this. There'd have to be. I know that architects and developers read this forum. If someone could explain this to us, that'd be great, because I'm really at a loss here. Still, even if there is a compelling reason for the core position, there's no excuse for the exposed concrete.

[Norman]

Night photo from last night:

[UrbanSG]

Looks like there may be some action on the signage front soon with some work occurring around that are of the building today. The pods are infact toilets which increases the areas of office floor space. It is a rather clever design in terms of maximising office floor space but the visual appearance of these pods isn't all that great. The proposed 7-8 level office tower for Australia Post located on the northern elevation of the GPO and near Electra House could help block a fair part of CC2's core in the future.

[Pikey]

Looks like there may be some action on the signage front soon with some work occurring around that are of the building today. The pods are infact toilets which increases the areas of office floor space. It is a rather clever design in terms of maximising office floor space but the visual appearance of these pods isn't all that great. The proposed 7-8 level office tower for Australia Post located on the northern elevation of the GPO and near Electra House could help block a fair part of CC2's core in the future.

Got it in one. The reason the core was relocated to the southern side, is due to that very fact. The only southern view would be of this other tower, so in an effort to maximise floor space, the core was offset with external pods for the toilet, and to break up a flat wall. Plus they could build over the heritage listed Electra house airspace.

It'll take time, but the development needs to be looked at wholistically, rather than at individual towers. Trust me, once the whole site is developed in around 7 years time, CC2's wall, and the "plain" design of CC1 won't be an issue, don't forget that the "focal tower" hasn't even been released yet, and I'm sure Woods Bagot have something well worth the wait.

[Ben]

Ernst & Young Signage going up on southern roof today.

[Xaragmata]

Ernst & Young Signage going up on southern roof today.

It was up this afternoon, and looks like a rooftop area for staff to smoke(?) or have a coffee. Gives the roof
a bit of definition, & takes the eyes off the pods, which looked OK from where I was - GPO obscured part of them,
so it just looks like a modern building. I don't mind the building or the pods.

[UrbanSG]

Despite the exposed concrete wall there are parts of CC2 I like a lot. The new Ernst and Young signage looks good. The ground floor details for this building are looking great so far. For example the lift foyer area near Electra House which has access to King William Street has been opened and you can see the brick wall of Electra House which is a great mix between heritage and new. Also a walkway between Waymouth Street and the centre of the City Central block underneath CC2 is a nice touch. Great connections throughout the entire block will really make the whole City Central development very unique. Pics from today:

A lot of financial institution signage for a so called 'backwater':


More signage:


Walkway under CC2 from Waymouth Street:

[Will]

Great photos UrbanSG! The buildings look better when the sun is shining upon them. What time did you take the photos?

[Will]

Maybe someone with some expertise in construction could answer this question, but would it have been difficult or expensive to at-least cover the exposed concrete with glass panels?

[UrbanSG]

Thanks Will. I took the pics just after 9am. I find that either the morning or the late afternoon/early evening are the best times to photograph the City Central buildings in summer. During the middle of the day the light can get too harsh. Of course often I have to take the pics when I get a chance which means some poor lighting photos.

[Xaragmata]

A lot of financial institution signage for a so called 'backwater':

I like that first shot, with the GPO, CC2 & 1 & the Westpac tower complementing each other.