Wave

Wave is a mixed-use development located in the inner western Sydney suburb of Marrickville. The design is a reinterpretation of dense inner city living, promoting a divergence of all users living and working in the development resulting in an enriched environment of social equity and inclusion.

In order to create the central courtyard and as such the ‘heart’ of the project, the main building form peels away from the northern boundary, culminating in the sinuous form; the wave. The form of the building reveals an outdoor open area that is a peaceful sanctuary protected from the bustle and noise of this inner-city locality.

The development comprises 34 apartments above retail tenancies activating the street at ground and a commercial tenancy at its heart orientated towards the central courtyard. The building envelope comprises a duopoly of forms. The building is rectilinear, robust and impactful in the way it addresses the property frontages. It reinforces the street-wall which is being established through the addition of similarly scaled developments in the Illawarra Road precinct. Subtle gaps between neighbouring buildings allows the project to breath amongst other developments of similar scale.

Materials employed in the development are rugged and befitting the urban context in which the development is set. Off-form concrete is softened through curved edges whilst face brickwork adds warmth to the facade pallet. Metal blades ‘blinker’ sight lines between dwellings and add a layer of lightness to the building envelope that contrasts delicately with the predominantly masonry form.