North Sydney’s Zurich Tower officially opens

It was a great pleasure collaborating with Adrian Mezzina & Co to deliver the official opening of Zurich Tower in North Sydney on Tuesday 15 December 2020, on behalf of CBRE Global Investors, Roberts Pizzarotti and Zurich Financial Services Australia.

The event saw Trent Zimmerman MP, Federal Member for North Sydney, and Jilly Gibson, Mayor of North Sydney, officiate a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by the project’s key stakeholders and consultant teams.

Located at 118 Mount Street, North Sydney, Zurich Tower has now become the new HQ for Zurich in Australia and New Zealand, and brings the company’s Sydney employees together in a fully collaborative space.

Designed by FJMT Studio and purpose-built for Zurich, the 29-storey 5 Star Green Star-rated tower delivers 20,600sqm of PCA A-Grade office space and includes a two-level podium, café space, sky terrace, basement car parking and end-of-trip facilities.

Developed in conjunction with White & Partners and Generate Property Group, CBRE Global Investors purchased the tower in late 2019, with construction completed in mid-November 2020 and Zurich employees moving in from late November.

North Sydney Mayor Jilly Gibson and Trent Zimmerman MP officially open Zurich Tower

Park Sydney’s Stage 1 opens to residents

Polymer was excited to attend the opening of Park Sydney’s first stage buildings, ‘Botany’ and ‘Cascade’, to residents and retailers on Wednesday 4 November 2020.

Congratulations to our long-standing client, Greenland Australia, and their joint venture partner, GH Australia, on delivering the first phase of one of Sydney’s largest urban renewal projects.

The milestone was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony conducted by Greenland Australia’s Managing Director Sherwood Luo, and City of Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, joined by Greg Barnett from WMK Architecture, Jamie Crookes from Richard Crookes Constructions and Nathan Shaw from Woolworths Metro.

The event also celebrated the launch of a new Woolworths Metro supermarket, which includes a very first concession store for our pro bono client, The Bread & Butter Project.

This is the first time a Woolworths Metro has outsourced its bakery operations to a third party, and under the arrangement, The Bread & Butter Project will operate its own bakery within the Park Sydney store, providing Woolworths Metro with a full production bread bar in-house.

A very exciting day for Polymer’s clients!

City of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, officially opens Stage 1 of Park Sydney in Erskineville

Cbus Property launches stage two of The Langston

The Polymer team was excited to support long-term client Cbus Property with the launch of the second stage of its north-west Sydney development, The Langston, during October.

Conveniently located opposite Epping railway station, The Langston’s second stage is known as Central, and features a collection of 180 one-, two-, three and four-bedroom apartments across 24 storeys.

The second stage also incorporates exceptional new amenity offerings - a Pool Deck, Wellness Hub and Sky Lounge & Dining spaces - designed to provide residents with previously unavailable lifestyle options.

With Polymer’s assistance, the launch received coverage across a selection of mainstream media sources, including the Australian Financial Review, the Daily Telegraph and the Northern District Times, as well as a wide range of property trade media outlets.

CGI of the new Pool Deck space in The Langston’s second second stage, Central

Dare’s premier Kalypso project launches

In conjunction with new Polymer client Dare Property Group, as well as CBRE, Cassette and Willow Frank Projects, Polymer helped launch the luminary Kalypso project in Sydney’s Tamarama.

Situated in the heart of the prestigious eastern suburbs, Kalypso will be a collection of just 11 boutique luxury apartments inspired by its exquisite beachside location, with leading architects MHNDU and interior designers Mim Design Studio creating a building that is aesthetically cohesive and effortlessly timeless, and which maximises its incredible views over Tamarama Beach.

It’s also great to be collaborating with our long-term client, Willow Frank, who is project managing the delivery of this high-calibre project.

CGI of Dare Property Group’s Tamarama project, Kalypso

Royal Far West showcases new campus design to locals

Throughout 2020, Polymer was engaged to manage, on behalf of Royal Far West, a comprehensive community engagement process and plan for the design of a new health and wellbeing campus on their Manly landholdings.

In support of this, Polymer facilitated a range of community engagement sessions in September to introduce the campus plans and seek community feedback.

This process included interactive engagement across three digital community information sessions, as well as the development of a project microsite, the production of a video, and the distribution of two newsletters (digital and printed).

As a result of this extensive community consultation, feedback was incorporated into the design and development of the new campus, which is always satisfying to see.

Online community engagement session for Royal Far West’s new Manly campus

Greenland Centre Sydney achieves topping out

Polymer was honoured to assist Greenland Australia in the official topping out of one of Sydney’s tallest residential towers, Greenland Centre Sydney, on Thursday 3 September 2020, with a ceremony recognising the completion of the uppermost floor of this landmark project.

Held at a height of 235 metres, the event saw our Director, Andrew Coward, conducting official MC duties, in front of special guests, including Greenland Australia Managing Director Sherwood Luo, as well as City of Sydney’s Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, Director of City Planning, Graham Jahn, and Councillor Robert Kok.

Meanwhile other guests, including Probuild Constructions, Codicote Australia, BVN Architecture, Woods Bagot, ARUP Group and CBRE, were welcomed via an exclusive live stream to a selection of project consultant offices.

Congratulations to Greenland Australia and the entire project team for achieving this historic milestone.

Socially-distanced, COVID-compliant topping out ceremony at Greenland Centre Sydney

Geyer announces rebrand

A big congrats to our client, Geyer, on the recent announcement of their rebrand, which marks a major evolution for the 40+ year-old Australian interior design brand.

Designed by our friends at Extra Black, the new Geyer brand is symbolised by an energetic and dynamic colour palette, with a modern typeface and an animated brandmark that demonstrates continued commitment to innovation.

We’re proud to have worked closely with the Geyer leadership team, and Extra Black, to develop a strategic communications plan for the company, which operates across Australia and South East Asia.

A glimpse at the new Geyer brand. For more information, visit https://geyer.design/.

The Bailey launches in Brisbane’s West End

Working with our long-term client, Realm Projects, Polymer helped launch a new project, The Bailey, in the vibrant heart of West End in Brisbane.

The boutique project, being developed by Pyco Group and Dalgliesh Consulting, features 26 residences, a stunning rooftop pool and entertaining terrace, and is designed by DAH Architecture.

It is perfectly situated in an enviable neighbourhood that is just moments away from all that Brisbane has to offer.

CGI of The Bailey Apartments in Brisbane’s West End

Coronation Property’s 8 Phillip Street Sod Turning

Polymer was on hand to assist Coronation Property with the official sod turning of their ‘8 Phillip Street’, Woods Bagot-designed project in Parramatta, on Friday 31 July 2020.

At a COVID-19-compliant ceremony, State Member for Parramatta, The Hon. Dr Geoff Lee MP, joined George Sahyoun, Founder and Chairman, Karima Group and Aras Labutis, Director of Urban Transformations at Coronation Property, in ‘turning the sod’ on the site, which is set to transform the historic Parramatta riverside precinct with luxury residences and Western Sydney’s first QT Hotel.

Thanks to Channel 7 and Channel 9 for covering the story.

Aras Labutis, Coronation Property, announcing the official sod turning at 8 Phillip St, Parramatta

Wipeout Dementia Features in Unique Aero Private Jet Mag

The article we wrote on Wipeout Dementia for Unique Aero Magazine came up beautifully!

The Wipeout Dementia event brings together heavy hitters from across Australia’s property industry, to raise money in support of crucial research by The Dementia Initiative at the University of NSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA).

Polymer was proud to support the cause by offering pro bono services to communicate the initiative via the world’s leading private jet magazine, which has a readership of high net worth business travellers and entrepreneurs.

Wipeout Dementia feature, Unique Aero Magazine

Topping Out Roberts Pizzarotti’s Zurich Tower

It was a great pleasure working with regular Polymer collaborators Adrian Mezzina + Co to organise a topping out event on Tuesday 26 May 2020 for boutique construction company, Roberts Pizzarotti’s ‘Zurich Tower’ project in North Sydney, which is set to become the new headquarters for Zurich Financial Services Australia (Zurich).

Planned to adhere to several COVID-19 precautions, the event commemorated the structural completion of level 29, the highest floor of the commercial building, and featured a ceremonial ‘teddy bear’ magnolia tree to signify the ancient ‘topping out’ tradition.

In line with a social gathering limit of 10 people, Roberts Pizzarotti’s CEO, Alison Mirams, joined nine other project stakeholders, including representatives of the building’s end owner, CBRE Global Investors; anchor tenant, Zurich; Mayor of North Sydney Council, Jilly Gibson; and the Hon. Rob Stokes, MP, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces.

Uniquely, the ceremony was live streamed into the head office of Zurich in Switzerland, Roberts Pizzarotti’s site offices around Sydney and to other key stakeholders of CBRE Global Investors around the world. This enabled the project’s major stakeholders to witness the milestone event, despite the restrictions placed on gatherings due to COVID-19.

Polymer’s involvement included all media liaison, speech writing, event planning, VIP management and supplier management.

Watch the event’s video below.

Taylor Predicts Subtle and Seismic Shifts Ahead for Construction

Polymer assisted client Mark Taylor, MD of Taylor Constructions, to highlight Taylor’s renewed focus on the physical and mental wellbeing of their teams in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, in an article in the Property Council of Australia’s ‘Property Australia’.

Mark took the opportunity to share his positive outlook on the crisis providing an invaluable opportunity for leaders grappling with business continuity to prioritise the health and safety of employees, and his belief that better ways of working will emerge from the pandemic.

“Construction has always been reliant on people. We have learned about the vulnerability of people – and how to better protect them. While COVID-19 safety measures may slow down some procedures, safe and healthy workforces are more efficient and productive. In the future, people will be less likely to come to work when they are sick. In caring for each other, we will reap the benefits of a stronger workforce, improved delivery timeframes and cost efficiencies,” he said.

Mark’s story was read by over 70K readers of the PCA’s weekly newsletter in the property and construction industries.

Top Spring Australia Lodges DA for Luxury Residential Project in Elizabeth Bay

Polymer assisted emerging property group Top Spring Australia in announcing the plans for their site in Elizabeth Bay, following submission of a development application (DA) to the City of Sydney Council.

The former headquarters of the NSW Country Women's Association (CWA) will make way for the construction of a six-storey residential development comprising 30 luxury one-, two- and three-bedroom residences, including a stunning penthouse, above a single level of basement car parking accommodating 31 vehicles.

The proposed development will recognise the heritage character of the surrounding area in its architectural design by PBD Architects, with a brick façade and art deco features that complement the surrounding streetscape.

Polymer’s targeted media release resulted in significant coverage amongst trade and consumer media state-wide, achieving over 842K potential views.

CGI of Top Spring Australia’s 11-13 Greenknowe Avenue, Elizabeth Bay project

The Bread & Butter Project Goes Retail

Like many small businesses across the country, Australia’s first social enterprise bakery, The Bread & Butter Project, has certainly felt the impacts of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic – but thanks to some agile thinking and committed staff, the business is keeping the doors open.

With café and restaurant sales and product distribution disrupted due to COVID-19, The Bread & Butter Project undertook a complete pivot in its business model to ensure it can continue providing high-quality sourdough breads and pastries.

Normally operating as a wholesale bakery, which uses 100% of its profits to support training and employment opportunities for refugees and asylum seekers in Sydney, the business has expanded beyond supplying cafés and workplaces, many of which were closed during the height of the pandemic, and is now supplying large-format retailers such as Woolworths Metro and Harris Farm Markets.

Within two weeks they shifted from being a largely wholesale enterprise to becoming much more consumer-facing via online retailers and supermarkets, and as their pro bono communications partner, Polymer helped the bakery break this announcement via a targeted media release campaign in conjunction with the Woolworths media team, which resulted in significant coverage across the country in trade and consumer press, that achieved a potential viewership of over 2.3 million readers.

The Bread & Butter Project loaves, now available in Woolworths Metro

Urban Rest Helps Out with COVID-19 Self-Isolation Accommodation

As COVID-19 pandemic measures saw corporate travel grinding to a halt, wreaking havoc on the business accommodation sector, Polymer assisted national corporate accommodation provider, Urban Rest Apartments, in promoting its response - a nation-wide temporary 14-day COVID-19 self-isolation package.

Aimed at corporate travellers returning from overseas, as well as local families seeking a more comfortable self-isolation experience, the package’s nightly rates equated to less than half the company’s standard rates.

Urban Rest’s founder and Managing Director, David Whelan, said “Many corporates are accommodating their returning international business travellers in standard hotel rooms, which sees them holed up in tiny spaces where they are having to live and try to work productively in really challenging environments, during their self-isolation. 

“In contrast, we’re offering larger and more comfortable apartments and houses at a heavily reduced rate, at a time when health and wellbeing is paramount.”.

Polymer’s media release secured coverage in national and trade publications across the country and received over 700K potential views.

Stage 1 of Park Sydney Tops Out

In early March, Polymer assisted project partners, Greenland Australia and GH Australia, in delivering a topping out ceremony for their Park Sydney project in Sydney’s inner-city suburb of Erskineville.

Attended by the construction team from Richard Crookes Construction, as well as engineers from Northrop and representatives from the project’s chief financial partner, NAB, the ceremony signified the completion of the structural phase of the Stage One ‘Botany’ and ‘Cascade’ buildings.

With development well and truly progressing at Park Sydney, we look forward to seeing the community coming to life!

Construction Update Video Provides a ‘Behind-The-Scenes’ Look at The Langston

In conjunction with videographer Peeping Eye, Polymer project managed the production of the latest construction update video for Cbus Property and their Epping project, The Langston, earlier this year.

The Langston has made strong progress since the project broke ground in June 2019, with the video designed to showcase all the latest developments on site, including work on The Langston’s foundations and lower levels, following the completion of excavation. The video gives viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the project and insights into construction that are not typically made available to the public.

Upon completion, the video was distributed to purchasers via EDM, as well as being posted to The Langston’s project website and Instagram social channel, bringing the project to the attention of thousands of viewers.

To see more, watch the video below.

Polymer nominated for Mumbrella CommsCon Awards

Polymer was proud to have been named as one of five finalists in the ‘Pro Bono Campaign of the Year’ category at the Mumbrella CommsCon Awards, for our work with amazing social enterprise, The Bread & Butter Project.

Since Polymer commenced working with The Bread & Butter Project in late 2018, we’ve achieved a potential media reach of over 25 million people – or the equivalent of the Australian population – across print, online, broadcast and social media platforms.

It’s our honour to provide this service for Australia’s first social enterprise bakery, which is making such a huge difference in the lives of refugees and asylum seekers coming to this country.

Cindy Carpenter, Chair of The Bread & Butter Project, speaks to Tim Davies, Channel Nine News

2019 comes to an end!

What a year it’s been for Polymer Studios!

We’ve moved to a new home at the buzzing co-working space ‘The Commons’ in Chippendale, attended industry events around the world, and most importantly, had the pleasure of working on some incredible projects and products across Australia.

We’d like to thank you, our valued clients and partners, for placing your confidence in us again this year and for your continuing support. We couldn’t do what we do without you!

Next year is already set to be a big year for us, and we look forward to working with you as we grow from strength to strength.

Please note, our office will be closed from the evening of 20 December 2019 and will reopen on 6 January 2020.

In the meantime, we wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season.

Taylor – 25 years and counting

From the humble beginnings of a converted lounge room office in Sydney’s northern suburbs, to a trusted advisor and delivery partner, Taylor is well-positioned for another 25 years of meaningful relationships.

Recognised as one of NSW’s most dynamic construction and property delivery partners, 2019 marks 25 years in business for Taylor, a testament to the fact that the company built by Managing Director Mark Taylor, has fully realised the dual objectives of success and longevity.

Since those early days, Taylor has developed a significant project portfolio, including the $54 million renovation of BMW Australia at Rushcutters Bay, the Wildlife Retreat at Taronga Zoo and the 39-storey Boomerang Tower at Sydney Olympic Park, to name a few.

To promote Taylor’s milestone birthday, Polymer managed associated communications, including drafting a feature cover story for Build Australia Magazine’s December issue, social media and an EDM for clients and stakeholders.  We’re proud to help Taylor celebrate 25 years as a trusted delivery partner to many of our clients.