Every excursion needs a guide, with Lendlease’s Senior Development Manager Evan Charmers the man overseeing our ramble about the new setting that sees the exciting entwinement of design, architecture and hospitality to deliver a development that looks to elevate the public experience.

Commencing the trip at the new Jackson’s On George hotel, we learnt of the many demands the linked site of laneways, venues, retail and open public space meant in alignment to the towering builds that literally frame the setting – not least the dominant 55-storey, 253-metre Salesforce Tower (from Foster + Partners). 

Chalmers was open and effusive in detailing the intricacies – so too the difficulties – involved in an offer that looks to meld and integrate many moving parts. The complexities of the project came on learning more about the various ancillary buildings – given this is not a simple commercial setting with the incoming residential offer designed by Kerry Hill (One Circular Quay) and the pending introduction of the anticipated Waldorf Astoria hotel by Kengo Kuma.  
“I think it’s great for us to get out together and see and learn more about what’s happening with various projects that touch on the work we do at H&E,” offered Principal Christopher Grinham. “It’s interesting to view this project and what is an arguably strange dichotomy of use – how does a six–star hotel look to interact with a pub and an office building, to mention the interaction of the podium and the public interface and the connectivity through to retail and hospitality.”