50 Martin Place
A grand, historic banking chamber transformed into a state-of-the-art commercial workplace
10am–4pm
About the building
The heritage-listed 50 Martin Place opened in 1928 as the new premises for the Government Savings Bank of NSW. Designed by Ross & Rowe in the Beaux-Arts style, the grand 12-storey building was the tallest in Sydney, and the most expensive built in Australia at the time. The banking chamber, grand hall and safe deposit area form a sequence of ornate interiors, with imported marble, and plaster and pressed metal ceilings.
In 1984, 50 Martin Place became the head office of the Commonwealth Bank, and in 2012, it was acquired by Macquarie Group for its new global headquarters. Johnson Pilton Walker, supported by TKD Architects, restored and refurbished the historic building and transformed it into a state-of-the-art commercial workplace. Two cylindrical glass shuttle lifts now ascend from the historic banking chamber to the elegant domed roof, which filters through the atria, illuminating the workspaces. Footbridges across the original lightwell connect 50 Martin Place to the new 1 Elizabeth building, creating an integrated campus for Macquarie. On the ground floor, the Warrane exhibition explores Gadigal custodianship of Country and the influence that Lachlan and Elizabeth Macquarie had on the physical shape and identity of Sydney.
Built
1928
Architect
Ross & Rowe
Alterations
Johnson Pilton Walker, TKD Architects, 2014
Awards
Australian Institute of Architects National Architecture Awards – Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architecture, 2015
Australian Institute of Architects NSW Architecture Awards – Sir Arthur G Stephenson Award for Commercial Architecture; Colorbond Award for Steel Architecture, 2015
National Trust Heritage Awards – Award for Adaptive Reuse, 2015
Master Builders Association of NSW Awards – Outstanding Construction Award, 2015
Find out more about this building here
50 Martin Place
50 Martin Place, Sydney
Entry details
Ground floor, levels 10 and 11. Visitors can also access 1 Elizabeth via the footbridge on level 10
10am–4pm
3.30pm
Need to know
Accessible featuresThere is lift access throughout the building. There is an accessible entrance at ground level via 1 Elizabeth Street. Accessible toilets are available
Lines expectedToilets availablePhotography allowed
