Occasionally I walk into a building and my first thought is "whatever the architect was smoking, I want some...". Such is the case at 70 Bourke Street. The building is interesting enough from the outside - angular and organic at the same time - but it's only when you get inside that things get really interesting.
The immediate impression of the main entrance is that it's nothing too far out of the ordinary. But looking up or down tells a completely different story. Up is a soaring atrium taking the eye past a series of curved and coloured balconies to a huge skylight which floods the space with light. Down is a series of interconnected ramps panelled with rich natural timber which snake their way to the lower levels. It's immediately mind-boggling and captivating, and a credit to the owners for hiring an architect with a vivid imagination - and possibly a very good stash.
