Century City Square is the heart of the new mixed use Bridgeways precinct. The square is framed and articulated by 5 distinct buildings and uses comprising the Century City Conference Centre, Century City Hotel, the Apex offices, the Matrix mixed use retail, offices and residential and a structured parking facility.
Vivid Architects were appointed to conceptualize the urban design framework for the Bridgeways precinct as a generator of its future growth. Key to this concept of a functional active mixed used environment was to prioritize the pedestrian realm over that of the vehicle, maximize ground floor transparency and activity, understand and reinforce focal points, view corridors and important axis all whilst incorporating strong passive design principles to optimize orientation and wind protection.
The overall precinct plan has been thoroughly interrogated to ensure strong pedestrian connectivity between this new urban environment and the existing broader Century City. Traffic calming measures have been adopted in the paving and surface treatments to ensure that the thresholds between building, square and roads are as blurred and seamless as is possible without compromising the safety and practical requirements of such a large development and the safety of the user.
Considerable research was done to understand the optimal size of the public square for this precinct that would encourage and facilitate flexibility for social gatherings, outdoor functions, concerts and markets. This was a crucial design aspect to ensure the square has a life beyond office hours that the public can enjoy 24/7. Very careful attention was given to the detail of the hard and soft landscaping elements in the form of granite paving patterns, planters, public seating, canal edges, pedestrian bridge links, way finding signage and lighting.
The overall architectural aesthetic is one of bold, natural and transparent materials that allow each building to develop its own “personality” within an overriding cohesive architectural language that speaks to contemporary longevity. The conference centre and hotel form a strong L- shaped enclosure to the square with its floating planes of light facebrick punctured by vertical glazed widow panels and corner flush glazed accents. In contrast, the elliptical flush glazed Apex building with its white fritted pattern sits on a North South orientation that forms the dynamic wedge shaped square below. The Matrix is based on the narrative of the old city warehouse building that has now been converted, refurbished and given a new life with its bold red facebrick facades and rheinzink mansard roof. The parking garage has its own unique character with its random staggered CNC cut aluminium panels in three shades of grey.
The entire precinct will be submitted to achieve the first ever GBCSA Green Star custom-mixed use 4 star rating.