DESIGNING and building Willis Central has involved a team of about 20 consultants, project managers, architects and engineers. Project manager Rasbeer Gill, the director of Gill Consultants, says his company's job is to deliver the finished building to Ian Cassels.
"It's very exciting. We were involved when Ian Cassels first bought the property. We've been part of that right from day one. We like to think we know what the project's going to be. Our objective is to ensure that we have a quality product at the end of the day."
Gill Consultants helped negotiate the lease to Telecom, enlisted construction firm Hawkins Construction and is involved in liaising with parties such as project architect Architecture.
Mr Gill says Telecom was excited about the futuristic glass atrium between the towers, which contains a glass lift and bridges between the large 1100 square metre and 1500sqm.
floors of each tower. Glass meeting rooms jutting out from the side of the atrium were included in the initial designs. "We first told them what we could do. They then gave us
their brief then we tailored the building to suit."
Mr Gill said Telecom wanted effective flow between divisions of their business and "an exciting environment for their office".
"We had to attract them. It will be quite spectacular – an amazing view [from] a glass lift going up and down."
Mr Cassels says his favourite part of the building is the undulating glass front on the Willis St tower, but he agrees the atrium will give the building a Star Wars feel "Laser fights on the bridges – there'll be a feeling of that in the building."
Mr Gill says 6000sqm metres of office space, Willis St retail spaces and one retail space on Boulcott St were still avallable to lease. Seventy per cent of the building is already
leased to Telecom.
"I think we've hit the right cycie from a construction point of view. We're confident we will lease the rest of the building."
