Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2021C01223:front:0:p26
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2021C01223
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 69638–72556

its main entrance located on the north elevation (main façade), originally addressing a tree-line street, Moore Street.  The Martin Place entrance has been retained as the principal pedestrian entrance.

The exterior of the building is read as four sections:
                  The Ground floor which is set back from the boundary of the site, and three basement levels which are partially visible from Phillip Street,
                  The first, second and third levels forming the podium, with horizontal slabs emphasized;
                  The tower floors (Levels 4 to 19); and
                  Level 20, which is setback from the façade of the tower levels.

The Head Office building is a twenty-two storey building including three levels of basements.  The lower levels of the tower contain the public areas and a cantilevered podium, while the basement levels were designed to accommodate strong rooms, storage and secure loading and parking areas.  The tower levels were generally taken up with office accommodation twentieth floor was designed during construction to provide a function space with extensive glazing to take advantage of panoramic views to the north and northeast.

The building rises to a height of 80.5m above Macquarie Street and Basement 3 is 12.5m below ground level.  The office tower levels are set back approximately 4.87m from the podium and site boundaries on the north and east street frontages consistent with a building covenant on the site.  The building floor plate surrounds a central bank of lifts with additional lifts serving the basements and Levels 16 to 20.  All vehicle access to the building is from Phillip Street.

The façade of the RBA building includes marble, granite, aluminium and glass components.  Structural columns are faced with black granite and expressed on the exterior of the building.  Spandrel panels between columns are formed by concrete panels that were originally faced with white Wombeyan marble.  The north and east ground floor walls are separated from internal spaces by glazed aluminium screen walls set back from the edge of the podium, creating a covered walkway over the forecourt/entrance area and the garden.

The facade treatment of the building is distinctive, reflecting both the modular office subdivision expressed in the window mullions and the extensive use of natural stone.  Intermediate mullions contain service risers and are clad with stone.  The spandrel areas between mullions and the heads and sills of windows, are comparatively flush in surface with the facings on the columns, while deep set windows provide adequate solar protection and give emphasis to the voids.  The resultant texture is static in form and '…emphasises neither horizontal nor vertical movement'[29].

    Windows located on the Phillip Street façade are designed with higher sills than those on other elevations, and are protected by horizontal