Mosaic Apartments | Tony Owen

Typically, Sydney’s Sussex Street precinct is the home of historic masonry warehouse buildings. A new apartment building by Tony Owen Partners seeks to fit in by making a colourful statement. Mosaic, just completed, is a 14 Storey residential/commercial building consisting of a 4 storey commercial podium with 37 units above.

The façade is dominated by a mosaic of angled window bays in a palette of bright colours to liven up the quiet street. This façade has an environmental purpose. The site is surrounded by tall buildings and has limited northerly aspect. TOP used parametric modelling to calculate the angles and direction of the sun at different times of the day, and directed the angle of the windows accordingly. In this way the technology makes possible a residential building which, otherwise would not have been possible on this site.

The masonry podium similarly uses parametric geometry to reinforce the historic streetscape. The main lobby incorporates large areas of off-form concrete which compliments the masonry colonade and the ceiling is made of back-lit glass to dramatically bring additional light to the space. A feature wall reinterprets the faceted geometry in illuminated sandstone. The result is a highly sculptural yet contextual in-fill building.