Wayfarer Apartments

Scraping the blue Belconnen sky, the 27-storey Wayfarer development is the tallest residential building in the Canberra region. Built on the shores of a placid lakefront, Wayfarer’s dazzling façade, grand entrance, 331 sun-drenched apartments, sweeping views of Canberra, sky lounge entertainment area and rooftop-pool combine to form the pinnacle of sophisticated inner-city living.

Developer, GEOCON, is passionate about shaping the future of Canberra. Working closely with Cox Architecture, the vision for Wayfarer was to incorporate all the things we love to live with – sunlight, ventilation and connection to the outdoors. With this in mind, an intricate dance of glass and aluminium was required. The input of fabricator, Taylors Windows, would be pivotal.

100mm Deep Tubular Sub Head was used to conceal exhaust ventilation ducts, AWS Series 704 Upmarket Commercial Sliding Doors were chosen to cater for high wind and water figures, and door frames include integrated fly doors for a neat and seamless total system.

To meet the challenges of Canberra’s demanding climate, the building uses Series 626 Double Glazed 150mm Framing, Series 168 Curtain Wall Double Glazed, awning sashes and Series 52 hinged door panels inlayed into the base framework for a bold, commercial appearance.

A major challenge included spanning the slab edge of 22 floors with a run of glass. The solution was a magnificent curtain wall, chosen for its ease of installation, ability to meet the design of a four-sided structural glazed unit and aluminium frame, and to provide the appearance of mostly glass panels.

The team’s mission was to make a big statement, leave a legacy and create a marker in the journey of Canberra. By every standard: mission accomplished!