201 Kent Street refurb delivers revitalised Sydney office address

Investa have completed the $8 million foyer refurbishment of one of their Sydney office buildings.

The new and improved foyer at 201 Kent Street was designed by Architectus and features a new cafe on the ground floor.

There are further plans for a potential new co-working space for tenants and guests.

While still in the planning phase, it is envisioned it will provide a range of different spaces to accommodate both collaborative and focused work, for individuals and teams, including event and meeting room space and a shared kitchen and break-out facilities.

Architectus associate Nigel Justins said it was important to create a lobby space that was both befitting of the building and in line with contemporary thinking on how a modern day office lobby should function

"By exploiting the inherent spatial qualities that had been largely concealed by the original fit out, it’s been possible to create such a space, utilising every opportunity to open up the lobby, connect it to its surroundings and allow it to become an active space," he said.

Greater connectivity was achieved by extending the foyer further west, to take in views of the Grafton Bond building and Barangaroo beyond, with a new cafe providing activation and amenity for tenants. On Kent Street, the podium was extended, with the old façade replaced with contemporary, high performance structural glazing to enhance natural light into the space.

To provide greater visibility of the lobby from the street, a 5-metre-high celling void was opened up to significantly raise the height of the space. High-end, contemporary finishes such as travertine, granite and American oak are used throughout.

The building is owned by Investa's flagship wholesale fund Investa Commercial Property Fund (ICPF).

Fund manager at ICDF Jason Leong said the owners recognised an opportunity to create value in the building by upgrading the street presence and ground plane, within the context of its wider surroundings, while activating the foyer with a new café and plans for a new co-working space.

"From the outset, our vision was to create a more connected, visible space, where both tenants and visitors could gather to meet and collaborate and I think we have exceeded expectations in this regard," Leong said.

201 Kent Street has a full-time concierge, a day spa and a range of time-saving services that tenants can access through Investa’s INSITE tenant portal, including dry cleaning, on-site car cleaning, bike repairs, catering and airport transfers. The 39,853m2 building accommodates a range of leading global companies, including AON, Arup and Crown Resorts.