Architecture and urban design practice Tzannes has been shortlisted for the prestigious Australian Institute of Architects 2025 National Architecture Awards for the 39 Martin Place project in the heart of Sydney’s CBD.
The practice won The Sir Arthur G Stephenson Award for Commercial Architecture in the NSW Awards in June and has now been shortlisted for the top commercial architecture award in Australia.
The award-winning design for a new 28-storey commercial tower at 39 Martin Place seamlessly integrates the southern entrance to the Sydney Martin Place Metro Station into a building that creates a distinct destination in its own right, the key element in a dynamic precinct that has an ongoing relationship with the civic and financial centre of Sydney.
“39 Martin Place redefines what smart, sustainable investment looks like in today’s commercial market as a result of our design amendments to building envelopes and floor space ratios that increased the allowable footprint,” Alec Tzannes, Director of Tzannes, said.
“Our design thinking is based on respecting heritage, creating new architecture that appreciates in cultural value over time, improves public amenity, and maximises economic value for our clients.”
The 39 Martin Place project was praised by the NSW Australian Institute of Architects jurors for exemplifying a new generation of tall buildings that deliver higher density and integrate new infrastructure, public pedestrian circulation, and green features throughout, also interconnecting urban layers to become an extension of the city.
The jurors noted that it is part of a significant new city-shaping urban design and infrastructure project in the City of Sydney and that Tzannes’ architecture has contributed to re-establishing this section of Martin Place as the commercial heart of Sydney.
39 Martin Place is owned by Investa Commercial Property Fund and Manulife and houses prestigious tenants including the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX), Natixis, The Commons, ESR Australia, and Ashurst Lawyers. The project has also won the Oceania regional 2025 Award for Excellence from the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
