M&C Saatchi

A sumptuous overhaul of an interwar building that recognises character, not perfection, as the key to the future workplace. M&C Saatchi’s redesigned headquarters by Woods Bagot is located within the 1930s former Transport House building on 99 Macquarie Street. The original structure, designed by Henry Budden and Mackay – a six-storey interwar, art deco-style sandstone building – is centrally located in Circular Quay, close to creative institutions including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Sydney Opera House, and the recently-completed Sydney Modern. The major refurbishment took the early 20th-century building, upgrading it to respond to 21st-century requirements, adapting the old building stock to create a contemporary workplace with elegant historic texture. Incorporating circular principals, adaptive reuse was selected as the most sustainable option with greater outcomes for the office character and building narrative. The workplace recognises character – not perfection – as the fundamental requirement for the future workplace. The space brings together the business’s 350 staff for the first time in the company’s history, where workers previously occupied disparate sites across the CBD, Surry Hills and Redfern. Comprising 3,400 square metres of floorspace over three levels, the headquarters is designed to entice employees back to the office to recoup company culture in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The premium-grade office space responds to post-pandemic workplace trends, designed for collaboration and creativity with hybrid working rhythms. Opulent period details (delicate steel-cased windows, marble columns and timber panels) and sound heritage bones offer a rich spatial makeup, interwoven with new, interactive work zones and modern technology. Interventions to the base building include a repositioned building core and the addition of two internal staircases linking teams across three floors. Architectural interventions were undertaken to improve access, mobility, and flow, and at the heart, the original grand civic room is restored, its graphic qualities accentuated. New flooring materials are laid in a large candy-stripe arrangement, deepening the original travertine flooring at scale. Marble columns are restored and frame the new stair architectural pods, serving as client meeting rooms. Five diverse areas offered by the original building are celebrated throughout the interior, each carefully imbued with its own sense of character. These include the Clubhouse (timber-panelled with upholstered banquettes and woven vinyl floor), the Cyc (a blank canvas space for engaging the client and generating ideas), “Offsite” (the level-three hospitality destination), the Amplifier Hall (featuring an eight-metre-high atrium with a native plant canopy), and “Backstage” (a focused-work destination and production hub). M&C Saatchi strives for the antithesis of a “desk farm”, incorporating a varied and textured work environment designed to foster creativity and cater to different working styles. The project featured the respectful treatment of existing heritage materials, while new materials were used responsibly in complete sheets to reduce waste. Australian materials and locally sourced furniture are proudly showcased throughout, including tulip modular lounges by Adam Goodrum, paper lampshades by Hay, and Coco Dining chairs and stools by Gubi.