Westpac Place

Westpac Place is a commercial skyscraper located in the north-western corridor of the Sydney central business district, Australia. The building is the bank's Australian headquarters.

Westpac Place
General information
Type	Commercial skyscraper
Location	275 Kent Street, Sydney, Australia
Coordinates	33°51′57″S 151°12′15″E
Current tenants	Westpac
Construction started	2003
Completed	4 August 2006
Landlord	Mirvac Blackstone Real Estate Asia
Height	166 metres
Technical details
Floor count	33
Design and construction
Architect	Johnson Pilton Walker
Developer	Leighton Properties
Main contractor	Leighton Contractors

The building was built for the Westpac Office Trust, being included in the sale of the trust to Mirvac in 2010.[1][2] In July 2014, Mirvac sold a 50% share in the building to Blackstone Real Estate Asia.[3]

Opening

Westpac Place was officially opened by Prime Minister John Howard on 4 August 2006, marking the completion of the project developed by Leighton Properties.[4][5]

Architecture

Westpac Place as seen from the Pyrmont Bridge

The architectural roof feature on top of Westpac Place has become a major part of the Sydney city skyline. This feature incorporates a weather beacon barometer, and is a key component of the overall composition of the project. The barometer is a particular response to 'place', and alludes to the maritime history of the precinct. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the site was at the harbour's edge, being the heart of Sydney's maritime trade, and was the principal trade route into the city centre.

The architectural roof feature comprises:

• Two metal clad base elements with the larger of the two capped by an internally illuminated white glass tower. The glass tower is 25 metres high and nine metres across.
• Eight red LED illuminated bars (on the north and south faces of the white glass tower), the lowest representing 990 hPa, rising in 5 hPa increments to the top bar representing 1025 hPa. This provides real time information on barometric pressure changes. Generally low pressure indicates inclement weather and high pressure with good or clear weather (although this is not always the case). As the pressure rises or falls, the LED bars will appear to ripple in an upward or downward direction respectively. The illumination level of the LED bars and tower is controlled by a roof mounted photosensor. The LEDs will be brightest in the middle of the day, and will start to smoothly dim before dusk, and after darkness will reach a low illumination level.

References

1. Proposed Acquisition of Westpac Office Trust Mirvac 28 April 2010
2. Westpac Office Trust holders vote to accept Mirvac's bid Business Review Weekly 22 July 2010
3. Mirvac Sell 50 Per Cent of 275 Kent Street Mirvac
4. Westpac Place opened Leighton Properties News September 2006
5. Westpac Place Leighton Properties