Red staircase links NAB’s workplaces across Sydney

A striking red staircase has become the symbolic thread connecting two NAB workplaces located 24 kilometres apart, with Woods Bagot delivering a dual-site strategy that reframes what a contemporary banking environment can be.

NAB 3 Parramatta Square and NAB 2 Carrington Street operate as fraternal twins within the bank’s Sydney campus and together provide more than 6,000 desks across two very different urban contexts.

GALLERY  

The parallel design process enabled Woods Bagot to craft a unified workplace identity while allowing each site to express a distinct character drawn from its surroundings.

According to Amanda Stanaway, Woods Bagot’s global workplace leader, the team approached the two projects as a shared venture informed by insights from the landmark NAB 700 Bourke Street workplace in Melbourne. The task was to distil a clear sense of NAB’s DNA and then translate it into two identities shaped by their respective locales. Parramatta’s role as Sydney’s emerging Central City informed an expressive, youthful and outward looking design for NAB 3PS, while the well established CBD setting of NAB 2CS called for a more refined and grounded approach.

NAB 3PS spans 13 levels and 35,000 square metres within the Parramatta Square precinct. The design leans into a theme of emergence, with raw textures, bold geometries and layered spatial sequences that encourage intuitive movement. The lower levels open directly to the public realm, revealing the inner workings of the bank and providing a series of participatory spaces that invite engagement from customers and the local community. Staff amenities and collaborative zones are interwoven throughout, creating an adaptable workplace that reflects the diversity and energy of greater Sydney.

In contrast, NAB 2CS occupies 12 levels and 29,000 square metres across the heritage listed Shell House and a new commercial tower. Framed views over Wynyard Park strengthen the project’s established character, reinforcing its connection to the CBD’s business fabric. The first four levels are publicly accessible and include a micro branch and café. A sculptural entry ribbon sets the tone for the circulation journey and leads visitors to an elevated concierge space. The upper floors offer a generous mix of collaboration settings, outdoor terraces, an amphitheatre and a substantial dealing floor, all planned to support NAB’s evolving workplace strategy.

Together, the two tenancies form a cohesive urban workplace network that bridges Sydney’s established and emerging centres, with the red staircase acting as a visual and conceptual anchor for the bank’s citywide presence.

Images by Nicole England and Trevor Mein via ArchDaily

A striking red staircase has become the symbolic thread connecting two NAB workplaces located 24 kilometres apart, with ...