Headquartered in Sydney’s CBD, Australia’s first and oldest bank, Westpac, has been a crucial part of the nation’s economic fabric for over 200 years. Its HQ, Westpac Place, is one of the most iconic structures in the precinct, a towering glass edifice recognisable from across the city.

Westpac Place has undergone recent refurbishment to bring the interiors in-line with the Barangaroo Westpac fitout completed last year. As SAS International’s metal pan ceiling system SAS150 was selected for the Barangaroo project, the same design was chosen for the Westpac Place fitout to create a homogeneous Westpac identity throughout both buildings.

SAS International partnered with architect Geyer during the project’s first two stages and The Studio* Collaborative throughout the third and fourth, working with SAS designer, Lois Bateman. Contractor MPA and sub-contractor Domain Projects played vital roles during the planning and construction phases.

SAS150 features consistently throughout Westpac Place’s main office spaces, lobbies, corridors, meeting rooms and cafés. On this complex six-stage project, it was crucial to strike the balance between design and function. Chosen for its aesthetics and acoustic properties, the versatile SAS150 suspended ceiling ensures straightforward access to the services concealed by the ceiling, meeting the project’s key demand. The SAS150 was specified in a series of perforations – 3136, 1522, 8063 – meeting the various acoustic and airflow demands across each stage of the build. As such, a perfectly absorptive 1 NRC acoustic rating was achieved for all perforations.

The suspended ceiling tiles were specified in RAL9003 white and RAL9005 black, creating a minimalist black and white binary design complementary to the Westpac aesthetic. A unique champagne finish was also part of the original design intent – this created a stunning contrast across the project’s space.

Westpac Place’s striking new fitout has created a peerless interior befitting a company with an enduring presence in Australia, and indeed, across the globe.

Project details

Project: Westpac Place Fitout

Client: Westpac

Location: 275 Kent Street, Sydney CBD

Sector: Commercial

Architect: Geyer & The Studio* Collaborative

Main Contractor: MPA

Sub-Contractor: Domain Projects

Completion Year: 2019

System Type: SAS150 Metal Pan Ceiling System 

Area: 6,600m²