341 George Street Sydney is an imposing heritage building constructed in two stages between 1928 and 1932 in Renaissance Commercial Palazzo style. The building was built as the Head Office for the Bank of New South Wales. The building comprises a sub-basement, basement, ground, mezzanine, plus 9 upper floors. The building features rich detailing and a high standard of decorative finishes, with the use of elaborate marble, granite and ceramic finishes combined with timber wall paneling and intricate pressed metal ceilings, with areas of coffered illuminated paneling. The external facades feature original detailing and decorative elements. The two lower storeys are clad in grey granite and the upper levels in Gosford sandstone. The project can be viewed as 2 different, but connected portions. The first portion is the refurbishment and adaptive reuse of the Banking Chamber. The second portion is the upgrade and refurbishment of the 9 floors of office space above. The design concept was to form a new central public lobby in the existing Banking Chamber (fully restored) that would enable public access to the upper (refurbished) office levels. The entire building has been upgraded in terms of services, compliance to regulations and current expectations of “office space”. The building has two public entries that serve the Banking Chamber. The original main entry addressing George Street and a second entry located on the northern façade addressing a public space known as “Regimental Square”. The design has redefined this secondary entry as the main entry to the

building. This provides a more direct route to access to the central lift core (which has had two lifts added as part of the project). The doors addressing Regimental Square were re-interpreted and reconstructed as a pair of electronically locked swinging doors. These reinterpreted doors now provide complying access/egress and a respectful reflection of the original doors (which remain on site). The new central public lobby provides discrete separation between the Banking Chamber and new centralised access to the upper floors. The separation of these functions is achieved via the installation of a pair of large full height glass screens which are supported by metal fins. These glass screens exceed 6.5 meters in height and have been designed as elements that cantilever from the floor. This was done so as to minimize the impact on the existing marble and scagliola columns. The additional lift core, located adjacent to the original central marble clad lift core, has been finished in bronze mirrored glass and carefully detailed, including bronze trim. This addition sits politely next to the original lift core in terms of scale and finish. The upper floors have been completely refurbished and now provide flexible open plan office space with contemporary services and fitting. Levels 1 and 6 have been restored to their former glory as examples of quality office space from the era the building was originally completed. Via this project NGI Investments and Tanner Architects have shown how heritage buildings are not liabilities, but instead, assets worth preserving.