In 1916 the Commonwealth Bank building set a new benchmark for commercial office buildings in Sydney with high quality architectural design, materials, finishes and good access to natural light and ventilation add a significant contribution to the urban fabric of Martin Place. In 2016, the revitalised 5 Martin Place is an exemplar in heritage-led urban renewal re-establishing the importance of the 1916 ‘Money Box’ within Martin Place and with all aspects of its architectural design anchored in the tangible and intangible cultural values of the building.
Significant relationships, spaces and fabric of the existing building have been revealed, conserved and enhanced, and lost elements reconstructed and reinterpreted. The original central light-well has been reinstated as a light-filled atrium, providing natural light to the reconstructed lay-light in the Banking Chamber. The new Martin Place façade reflects and articulates the noble proportions and materials of the adjoining 1916 building including sandstone and reclaimed trachyte from the 1968 building. The new ten storey addition has an efficient innovative steel-framed structure which cantilevers over the 1916/33 building allowing the existing building to be free of any structural intervention and reflects the structure of the 1916 building. The façade detailing reflects the proportions of the original building.