Sapphire anodised the highlight fins that adorn the exterior of the concrete building as well as finishing components for the fire stairs at each end of the facility. Anodising was the clear choice for a monumental building that is required to last more than 30 years.
The architecturally designed, environmentally sustainable building is 18,000m² in floor area and has storage for approximately 25% of the Archive’s extensive collection. It will house 104km of paper records, more than 9km of audio-visual records and a digital archive, ensuring the preservation and conservation of Australia’s collection continues into the future.
“The facade of the records storage box references the Australian landscape by depicting a weathered, uneven, randomly disposed and sunburnt surface that may evoke a granite outcrop catching a rising or setting sun. The key element in preserving the nation’s records, the passage of time, is suggested by this reference to the ancient landscape.” May + Russell Architects.
