circlesix/fjcstudio, Australia Square

 

circlesix/fjcstudio, Australia Square

In relocating to level six of Australia Square, fjcstudio set out to create a workplace that is also a forum: open, collaborative and outward-facing. The design works with Seidler’s circular plan and Pier Luigi Nervi’s coffered ceiling as primary drivers, organising the floor into four legible quadrants through a strategy that “squares the circle.” The result is a workplace that supports both the studio’s internal life and broader engagement with the design profession, within one of Australia’s most significant modernist buildings.

The quadrant strategy establishes orientation and structure without compromising visual continuity across the open floor. Enclosed functions are contained within freestanding curvilinear volumes that preserve long sightlines to the Nervi ceiling. Within these forms, the geometry shifts to angular polygons that align precisely with the interlocking ribs of the ceiling above, creating a coherent spatial dialogue between new insertions and the existing structure.

At the western George Street quadrant, circlesix operates as a dedicated forum for daily collaboration, reviews and industry events. The space supports the studio’s internal life while remaining open to the broader design profession for lectures, exhibitions and gatherings. It gives the workplace a civic dimension, positioning the studio as a place of cultural engagement as well as production.

Materials and services were selected with restraint. A palette of white forms, walnut timber and burl veneer complements the existing structure without competing with it. No new mechanical systems were introduced; existing perimeter cooling is retained, with fresh air drawn into enclosed rooms from the main space. Cowrie chairs by Brodie Neill, originally specified by fjcstudio in 2013 for 200 George Street, were reacquired through Cult Design’s Cultivate program, demonstrating the longevity of considered design and a commitment to circular economy principles.

The arrival sequence integrates ‘Eora II’, a commissioned artwork by First Nations artist and long-term fjcstudio collaborator Jake Nash. Positioned at the entry, the work establishes a dialogue between Seidler’s modernist geometry and the cultural significance of the circle as a place of gathering on Gadigal Country. The collaboration grounded the project in its specific place, acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land and positioning the studio within a broader context of cultural continuity and shared knowledge.

 

Intergrated Cultural Artwork
‘Eora II’ by Jake Nash

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