Maxton Fox Furniture Systems was engaged by FJMT to create bespoke joinery for the Zurich Tower in North Sydney.
The headquarters of Zürich Insurance in Australia, the 29-storey Zurich Tower designed by FJMT is the latest addition to the growing North Sydney skyline. As one of Australia’s fastest growing CBDs, North Sydney is seeing a significant rise in infrastructure spend supported by an influx of investment in commercial schemes from Singapore, USA, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and China.
Completed in October 2020, the Zurich Tower is the most recent outcome of this expanding metropolis, offering 20,000 square metres of PCA A graded space, and featuring a refined palette and high-end finishes. The tower has been described as a “destination of choice for global capital” by Mark Hansen of Cushman and Wakefield.
Maxton Fox was engaged to create bespoke joinery for the reception area and upper lobby of the Zurich Tower. Their broad scope encompassed a leather and bronze reception desk, banquette seating, bench seating, lobby lounges and tables with fully integrated power.
The bench seating in the main reception curves gently with a bronze chain drape forming private niches within the open plan lobby. High ceilings and large windows allow light to flood in over the cream, tan and gold finishes, generating a luxurious atmosphere.
FJMT designed the stitching detail on the bench seating with each upholstered top featuring nine seam lines running through it. To ensure the suitability of the detailing as well as the fabric, Maxton Fox’s upholstery team created wooden stencils and test swatches for the architect. Creating a 1:1 scale example allowed the team and the designers to visualise the drawings in situ.
The banquette seats also had five individual backrests with each fixed to a curved panel. The upholstery team created a larger lumbar support backing along with four smaller strips running up the length of the backing. Maxton Fox’s carpenters then ensured these were fastened to the timber with the stitching cleverly concealed.
Getting the soft leather to sit taut to the curved forms of the seating was the most challenging aspect of the joinery, which was expertly delivered by Maxton Fox’s highly skilled upholstery team.
The tapered cylindrical bases of the tables in the upper foyer were wrapped using multiple slices of timber by the carpenters to give them a smooth finish. The veneer for the top was then matched and power units (three GPOS) were integrated into them. Since the power source ran through the floor, the Maxton Fox team connected the tables during installation.
The mobile concierge desk was a completely customised piece with Maxton Fox’s upholstery team covering it in a pleated weave pattern, which presented a few challenges during the final stages due to the nature of the material. The brass strip that wrapped around the desk was also laser cut with the company’s name at Maxton Fox’s Western Sydney factory.
During installation, the Maxton Fox team worked in coordination with the Roberts Pizzarotti team to ensure a quality delivery.
