Sydney Trains’ new Rail Operations Centre (ROC) is a worthy contribution to the urban fabric of Green Square, reflecting Sydney’s heritage through its design.

Brief

The brief required a vast top-lit, solid-walled control room above several floors of open commercial workspace.

Design response

The building is wrapped in masonry for structural support and security. Large arched openings in the north and east facades help moderate the building’s mass and create a connection to the street. The openings also act as beams to support the heavy brick walls above, allowing glazed openings at the base.

ROC has an extensive control room with the largest rail network monitoring screen in the Southern Hemisphere. Integrated skylights punctuate the building’s high ceiling, filtering natural light across the space.

The exterior is clad in locally-made red brick, reminiscent of the colour of local warehouses and historical Sydney buildings. According to the architects, the familiar nature of brick was used to juxtapose the extraordinary scale of the architectural gestures in this building.

Key products/suppliers

• Bowral - Bowral76 - Capital Red
• Bowral – Bowral76 - Bowral Blue
• Boral - Concrete - White
• Holyoake - Aluminium Louvres - Eternity Charcoal Pearl
• Empire Facades - Aluminium Facades - Dar Bronze Anodised