Design firm reimagines the Sirius building at The Rocks

A Tetris-LIKE “reimagining” of the controversial harbourside public housing Sirius building is polarising opinions. Is it wacky and wonderful or just plain wacky?

The Sirius building could be saved if this design add-on is approved.

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A STRIKING Tetris-like “reimagining” of the controversial harbourside Sirius public housing building is polarising opinions.

The future of the Sirius building at The Rocks is still unclear after public housing tenants were evicted and the State Government has repositioned to sell or demolish the brutalist structure.

But Australian design studio CplusC Architectural Workshop has had a bit of fun creating a Sirius building on steroids, made up of staggered blocks and terraces around the original building.

Clinton Cole said reaction to the design had been “extreme”.

The brutalist design of the Sirius building divides Sydneysiders.

The firm said the design was inspired by Moshe Safdie’s renowned Habitat 67 in Montreal, which inspired architect Tao Gofers when he designed the Sirius building.

CplusC director Clinton Cole believes the firm’s plan could save the building from demolition, but added reaction to the eye-catching design had been “extreme”.

He said CplusC’s proposed redesign of the site, which would contain at least 400 apartments, would be a “win-win” for the government and those looking to preserve the building’s heritage.

Icon or eyesore? The Sirius building was inspired by a famous mid-20th century building called Habitat 67.

The architecturally unique Habitat 67 building in Montreal inspired the original Sirius building and the new proposed design.

“It’s an abstract idea to get people talking and the feedback we’ve had so far has been extreme,” he said.

“Some people are saying it’s just a whimsical proposal by architect dreamers, but we’ve also had some positive feedback.

Would you live in CplusC’s pod style development?

Another view of CplusC’s design.

“If people are talking about it then it’s a good thing.”

He believes that simply campaigning to save the existing building will achieve nothing because the government “just see the building for its land value”.

Clover Moore backs saving the Sirius building

The building, which offers views of the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, was denied heritage listing last year.

This was despite efforts of a preservation campaign, public protests and a ban on unionised workforces participating in the demolition.

The government’s decision not to heritage list the building will be challenged at a hearing at the NSW Land and Environment Court in April.