One City Hill, Canberra

Client Morris Property Group

Location Canberra

The new 37,000 sqm office accommodation development at One City Hill provides a highly flexible, sustainable and innovative workplace environment that will contribute positively to the urban life of Canberra’s CBD. The development is comprised of two distinct new office buildings which together provide cohesive and clearly defined built forms which complement the existing urban context.

At street level the new development presents an architecture that is open, welcoming and sophisticated in character. One City Hill integrates seamlessly with the existing CBD precinct, and creates a dynamic new workplace address with close proximity to public transport, parking, and Canberra’s many retail, business and cultural amenities.
Continuous retail frontage along Knowles Place and the corner of Edinburgh Avenue activates the public realm, access to end of trip facilities and a generous forecourt linking the main entry between the two buildings. A generous setback at ground level provides the opportunity for extensive public amenity, while a generous laneway through the court allows permeability across the site.

The continuous double height colonnade wraps around the buildings and provides a generous civic interstitial space, while affording protection from rain and allowing filtered light which subtly reflects the silver coloured louvres. The generously curved glazed face at ground level allows pedestrians to walk seamlessly around the building, while enhancing their sight lines and allowing them to navigate the city with ease and confidence. Extensive landscaped planter beds and trees around the building provide pedestrians with natural amenity, while raised planter walls provide pedestrians with a sense of safety and separation from the traffic along the major artery of Vernon Circle.

Upon entering the building, the foyer provides access to the central security screening areas, which in turn provide access to the circulation cores of both buildings, which includes the central atrium to the north building. Upon passing security, occupants can disperse among the three lift cores and connect with the northern atrium at level 1, which is filled with natural light by the large skylight high above. Acting as the heart of the building this area is ideal for a variety of lounge, meeting and touchdown spaces.