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Working closely with the NRMA, Pepper Property and Davenport Campbell, Medland Engineering delivered an innovative package of building services for the new NRMA headquarters at 9 Murray Rose Avenue, Sydney Olympic Park. The fitout includes four levels of open plan offices and the NRMA call centre located on level 5. Each floor and space has a distinct purpose and are linked vertically by a central void and interconnecting staircase.

Our lighting design brings a discrete and harmonious atmosphere to the interior and picked up an Award of Commendation at the 2017 NSW IES awards.

The building was designed to maximise the expanse of full glass facade, however, shadowing and lack of daylight penetration due to the narrowness of the building had the potential to make the space appear unevenly lit. The challenge for the lighting design was to ensure the space felt comfortable and evenly lit at all times. We achieved this by applying simple principles, carefully highlighting and lighting the vertical surfaces and modifying downlights so they could be placed only where required to maintain even lighting levels. We worked to keep this additional “non-functional “cost at a minimum to keep with the overall lighting budget.

Connecting each space vertically and horizontally was an important part of the brief. A key element of the design connection is an “ethereal ribbon” running throughout. Our lighting design enriches this connection, creating halos of light across each floor, lighting the central spine across all floors and highlighting the shape of the feature stair. The result is particularly striking at night, taking advantage of the expansive glass facade it creates a distinctive lighting sculpture which compliments the interior design and creates a sense of transparency to the entire building, offering a quiet landmark for the Olympic Park precinct.

It was important to the client that the space feel consistent between the different floors. Clever selection and thoughtful placement of the lighting ensures a harmonious feel, creating a sense of consistency and comfort for the end users while highlighting the unique interior design. In the innovation zones and the call centre colour and pendants create distinctive zones, enhancing the unique character of each space while maintaining the cohesion of the interior design.