Longbeach Apartments, Sydney

The Longbeach Apartments are located near the airport in the centre of Brighton Le Sands in Sydney, a busy cosmopolitan beachside suburb. The area has a busy street life filled with cafes and restaurants. The site enjoys panoramic views of the beach, and the Longbeach Apartments contain 50 residential units with extensive balconies and a ground floor restaurant to enhances the existing cosmopolitan streetscape.

Tony Owen Partners sought to design a striking yet unique building which delicately balances the requirements of cosmopolitan style with a laid back beachside lifestyle. The surrounding buildings were generally aligned to the street, however the Longbeach Apartments have been turned 90 degrees to face the water. This has opened up the façade and allowed this sculptural building to break from the rigid pattern of the area. This move maximises the solar aspect and views to all units. The Longbeach Apartments are an example of high architectural quality which has become a design benchmark for the area.

The building’s curvilinear form creates a sculptural and beautiful expression for the streetscape. In addition, it maintains views and maximises the number of corner units to comply with requirements for natural ventilation. Laser cut bronze coloured metal screens are attached to the facades. These screens provide privacy to units, in particular minimising overlooking towards the units to the north. They also provide solar shading to minimise solar heat gain and requirement for air conditioning. These screens employ a flowing curved dot graphic pattern which gives a bold but whimsical expression. The retail area provides an element of social engagement for the streetscape. The façade of the first floor is clad in a timber screen element using the same patterning as the building façade. These panels screen the first floor parking and provide an attractive front to the streetscape.