The Ernst & Young Centre, is a 32 Level commercial office tower and signature building on the World Square site, located on George Street, in Sydney. The tower has 68,000m2 of NLA and construction was complete in January 2005, by Brookfield Multiplex Constructions. The building achieved a 4.5 Star NABERS energy rating and is a PCA “Grade A” office building. The tower has an approximate construction cost of $270m. The Ernst & Young Centre was the result of the City’s Design Excellence Competition won by Crone Partners.
World Square is a mixed use development incorporating a retail centre, public piazza, residential and commercial uses. The World Square site was a hole in the ground for over 10 years and construction stopped in the 90’s, due to financial constraints. Re-use of the existing structure and lift core was an important consideration in the new design of the office tower. Development of the Ernst & Young tower was the catalyst for the urban renewal of the World Square District.
One of the key features of the design, is a unique glazed external stair, that forms an active circulation spine for the tenants of the building. The stair not only serves as an important egress route, but is an interconnecting stair for multiple level tenants, thus encouraging people interaction between floors. At night, the lighting to the stair provides a dramatic glow to the tower, highlighting the building on the city skyline.
