Infinity residential building,
designed by Koichi Takada Architects
In a world where every square meter of urban space can be priceless, the decision to... leave it empty is surprising. Infinity, a 20-story skyscraper designed by Koichi Takada Architects at the corner of Bourke Street and Botany Road in Sydney's Green Square, bursts the logic of development from the inside - literally. Where other buildings rise like compact blocks upward, Infinity has an opening through which light passes, air circulates, and the city gains a whole new quality of space. Thanks to this form, the building doesn't absorb heat and doesn't cut itself off from its context, showing that a breakthrough doesn't have to mean complex technologies - it can start with a change in approach to form itself.
The Infinity residential building in Sydney - the massing is a kind of architectural wave that flows through the landscape of the Zetland neighborhood
Photo by Ashleigh Hughes © Koichi Takada Architects
A form that lives the rhythm of the city
The mass of Infinity is a kind of architectural wave. It flows through the landscape of the Zetland neighborhood with a softness and precision one would hardly expect from a 20-story complex. The facade undulates to open up completely at the central point. It is this opening, the central gap in the structure, that is key to understanding the entire project. It is not a formal trick or ornament. The void acts as a natural ventilation, a channel for daylight and a place for social exchange.
Infinity residential building in Sydney - Koichi Takada compares his concept to a drifting iceberg - cool, porous, responsive to its surroundings
Photo by Tom Ferguson © Koichi Takada Architects
architecture as a climate mechanism
Modern cities suffer from overheating, smog, lack of circulation - Infinity responds to these problems without waiting for more regulations. The opening piercing the block is not decoration. It's a key element of the design - an aerodynamic tube that directs wind, cools interior spaces and draws fresh air inside. The design shows that a building can act like a micro-ecosystem. Koichi Takada compares his concept to a drifting iceberg - cool, porous and responsive to its surroundings. It's a metaphor, but also a technical ambition. Through computer modeling and airflow simulations, they were able to create a form that actively reduces the need for air conditioning while improving the comfort of the building's occupants and users.
Infinity has an opening that cools the building. The Infinity concept was born from the idea of creating a significant opening in the building structure to draw in the wind and achieve a natural cooling effect on the interior through pressure differences. This creates an iceberg effect in a highly urbanized environment. Melting icebergs are an effect of global warming. They are also known to help cool and slow warming in the Southern Hemisphere. Because of Australia's proximity to the South Pole, strong winds and cold fronts from the southeast reach here - the polar vortex originating in Antarctica. The parallels between the iceberg and the Infinity building symbolize the tension between nature and the built environment in our time
- Koichi Takada says.
A sculpture, not a skyscraper
In the context of today's cities, where buildings increasingly resemble densely stacked blocks, Infinity does not overwhelm with its mass - despite its large volume, it remains lightweight, thanks to its streamlined lines and dramatic cut in massing . The protruding terraces, the greenery incorporated into the architecture, the transparency of the lower floors - all contribute to the impression that we are dealing with an urban sculpture rather than a classic residential and commercial development. Rhythmic horizontal divisions on the glass facade create a visual dynamic that changes depending on the angle of view and time of day. The eastern part of the building climbs gently upward, while the western part descends in a wave toward the open space. This asymmetry not only gives the massing expression, but also responds to the directions of wind, sun and flow of users.
The Infinity residential building in Sydney - view of the inner courtyard.
Photo by Julien Lanoo © Koichi Takada Architects
light instead of shadow:
sculpting the sun at an urban scale
Infinity doesn't just let the air flow - it also guides the light. The high, undulating facades and setbacks of the southern exterior wall mean that even spaces below ground level - like the Green Square public plaza and library - get full sunlight. Had the architects contented themselves with a rectangular block, these spaces would have been doomed to perpetual shadow. Instead, they chose a form that lets and shares light.
Infinity residential building in Sydney - elevation drawing
© Koichi Takada Architects
modernity that does not exclude:
a space for all
With 325 apartments, 75 hotel rooms, a conference center, restaurants, stores, a swimming pool and green terraces, it might sound like a luxury apartment building. But Infinity aims wider. Diverse apartment typologies, access to common spaces, terrace gardens and rainwater harvesting capabilities create an inclusive residential system where technology and climate serve more than just a select few. Terrace forms allow natural cooling through cross ventilation, while shaping intimate outdoor spaces. It's a hybrid: private, semi-public and public spaces intermingle, fostering neighborliness, interaction rather than isolation.
Infinity residential building in Sydney - first floor plan
© Koichi Takada Architects
from data to experience:
digital design, human results
In the background of the building's form, precise mathematics is at work. Tunnel tests, CFD simulations, lighting and air circulation modeling - without sophisticated digital tools, this project could not exist. But the end result is not cold or technocratic. The building is proof that technology doesn't have to take away architecture's soul. It can enrich it. It can open up new paths: to buildings that are more aware of their place, their inhabitants and the role they play in the city.
The Infinity residential building in Sydney
Photo by Julien Lanoo © Koichi Takada Architects
What does Infinity teach us?
Infinity shows that a good building doesn't start with the facade - it starts with questions. What does it give to the city? How does it respond to the climate? How does it affect the daily life of its inhabitants? How does it transform the context? The answer is not just a building, but an architectural ecosystem. One that lets the wind pass through, channels the sun, connects people and gives them space to live. And though it stands in Sydney, its lesson is universal. It's not about building higher. It's about building smarter.
Elaborated: Anastazja Dżupina
Illustrations provided courtesy of Koichi Takada Architects.
