39 Martin Place by Tzannes

Located above the southern entrance of the Martin Place metro station, 39 Martin Place is a 28-storey commercial tower that exemplifies the future of place-responsive urban development. Designed by Tzannes, this tower represents a new model for city-making: one where infrastructure, heritage and contemporary architecture converge in meaningful dialogue.

Initially brought on as peer reviewers of the broader precinct plan, Tzannes’s role quickly evolved into a lead position shaping the design narrative of 39 Martin Place. Their early urban analysis informed updated development controls for the precinct – reducing tower setbacks, increasing commercial yield, minimising overshadowing and enabling a more site-specific architectural expression.

With a strong commitment to public domain quality, heritage sensitivity and enduring commercial value, 39 Martin Place offers more than just a corporate address.

The design achieves much more than vertical density. It is a layered, civic-minded gesture that carefully considers its context, particularly the prominent heritage-listed 50 Martin Place directly across the street. The architectural dialogue between the two is deliberate. The new tower’s podium references the rhythmic column order of its 1920s neighbour, while its upper levels, finished in liquid glass, echo the historic cornice and window treatments opposite. Ceramic tiles, used as a primary finish, offer texture and tonal subtlety that respond to the older building’s materiality.

Set eight metres back from the podium, the tower is purposefully recessive when viewed from Martin Place. This spatial generosity allows daylight to filter to street level and softens the tower’s vertical presence. A terrace void between the podium and tower creates a sense of architectural pause, visually separating the mass above from its civic-scaled base. The tower’s corners, southern core and mechanical levels are wrapped in sculptural ceramic forms, giving the structure a conservative quality and strong material identity.

Internally and externally, the project demonstrates a high degree of resolution. Strong masonry elements, deep reveals and refined detailing are mirrored in the design of the interior architecture and metro station art integration, creating a cohesive, place-enriching experience from concourse to skyline.

With a strong commitment to public domain quality, heritage sensitivity and enduring commercial value, 39 Martin Place offers more than just a corporate address. It reimagines how tall buildings can contribute to the urban fabric and city life while honouring its foundations.

Architecture by Tzannes. Build by Lendlease.