From Eyesore to Eco-Friendly: Stunning Transformation of 1970s Block into Chic Boutique Commercial Space!

Make Architects has completed a sustainable renovation of a 10-storey office building on Carrington Street in Sydney's CBD, transforming it into a boutique office with flexible, efficient open-plan spaces. The refurbishment, commissioned by Brookfield Properties, retained the majority of the existing concrete structure, minimising waste and maximising efficiency.

The building features floor-to-ceiling window bays, referencing the design of the adjacent listed Lisgar House, and offers an enriched mix of uses to enhance activity and interest at the street level. The entrance lobby and retail units on Carrington Street create a double-height, light-filled space, while on Wynyard Lane, there is potential for a bar or restaurant and a speakeasy bar in the basement unit.

Make Architects’ interior design concept centres on transitioning from light to dark, with lift lobbies and amenity spaces clad in grey laminate and smoked oak veneer. The entrance sequence features a bright, double-height lobby entrance clad in bead-blasted stainless steel, followed by a secondary reception space with smoked oak veneer linings and black leather banquette seating.

The existing concrete slab, beams and services have been left exposed throughout the building, providing authenticity to the expression and experience of the building. Highly insulated cladding systems and updated services provide heating and cooling within the offices, and the deep reveals around the double-glazed windows offer solar shading.

The building also features 29 cycle spaces and associated amenities and is to informally target a NABERS rating. Brookfield Properties Development Manager, Rebecca McKee, said the project exemplifies Brookfield Properties' commitment to excellence and will be an important linkage in the broader Wynyard precinct.

The boutique office has already achieved a 40% pre-let for Brookfield Properties, demonstrating confidence in the investment and the wider reinvention of the area. With its sustainability focus and unique design, the refurbished office building is set to become a coveted location for businesses in the Sydney CBD.