The Crossing is a mixed-use development located at the threshold between Newcastle’s civic town centre and the harbour. The site addresses Merewether Street, a key link between the civic centre and the harbour, but also lies adjacent the former rail corridor to the south and the Newcastle Museum precinct opposite to the west. Accordingly, the project has been greatly influenced by this varied urban condition in the conception of the form and composition of the building.

Inspired by the materiality of local brick buildings and the towering volumes of the historic Great Northern Hotel, The Crossing is conceived as a series of four brick towers composed on a weighty masonry podium. The podium, textured by a composition of punctured openings, finely detailed brickwork and extensive greenery, envelopes an above ground naturally ventilated carpark which was required to avoid costly excavation and construction in contaminated ground conditions. At street level commercial spaces comprising of a café and restaurant framed by a generous public veranda address Merewether Street providing a place for social interaction while acting as a bridging point between the waterfront and town centre.

The four towers above respond dynamically to the available views and the site geometry whilst the resulting interstitial space becomes an external breezeway corridor. This breezeway not only serves the purpose of circulation, but becomes a place where residents can sit, meet and engage with the extensive integrated landscaping or framed views out to the city.

Each of the tower floor plates contains two compact and efficiently planned apartments with all apartments oriented to offer characteristic outlooks and capture views either toward the civic centre or Newcastle’s harbour. With only one adjoining neighbour they are like a series of duplex’s in the sky linked by an external breezeway.

The project skilfully addresses its complex urban condition while progressing apartment typology to be greener, more connected to its environment and to provide residents with a more individual sense of home.