39 Hunter Street, Sydney Central Business District

Location:	Sydney
Country:	Australia
Architect:	Jackson Teece
Builder:	St Hilliers Contracting

The refurbishment of 39 Hunter Street in Sydney's CBD - the first heritage building in Australia to achieve a 6 Star Green Star rating - combines the use of contemporary materials including Azure™ Facades panels, with the retention of heritage materials.

Mainly concentrated on the building's prominently visible top floor and plant rooms, Azure™ facade profiles in the colour Champagne Metallic created a modern appearance for an iconic building in need of refurbishment.

Standard Azure™ system comprises the majority of the external cladding on the top floor and acoustically insulated versions also flow internally.

A 50mm spacing between the joints was specified, which placed a visual emphasis on horizontal lines, rather than vertical lines. Differing inter-joining wall angles were reconciled through careful panel design and fabrication.

Mark Aban from architects, Jackson Teece, said the Azure panelling system's adaptability made it highly suitable for the project: "The 39 Hunter St refurbishment required some versatility in the facade and the Azure™ product offered that with reliability."

The Facades Engineering Team managed the entire cladding process - from design and supply, to installation. "We appreciated the technical support we received throughout - from design to the construction stage of the project," Mr Aban said. "The product's final appearance speaks for itself – we achieved a clearly contemporary insertion for the refurbishment of this heritage-listed building."

Site manager, Peter Crabtree from St Hilliers Contracting, said: "Having one point of contact for the cladding supply and installation was a great advantage for the project. The Facades business adopted a team approach on site and were happy to coordinate with all other trades where their roles intersected. This greatly assisted site progress."