Moore Park Gardens

A game-changing project that reset urban renewal in Sydney, the conservation, adaptation and innovation of a former brewery proves that good design is good business.

Staged over a period of 10-15 years, completing in 2000, Moore Park Gardens remains one of Australia’s leading medium-density residential developments. As its master planners, architects and interior designers, AJC’s vision was to create an integrated neighbourhood balancing sustainable design with communal amenity. A new type of apartment living, not previously seen in Sydney on this scale.

The 2.6-hectare site in East Redfern had been the Resches Brewery and its renewal integrated its massive heritage factory buildings, along with two new residential apartment towers (Grosvenor and Hopetoun) and adjoining three-five storey terraces. Key to its success was creating the new landscaped street as a pedestrian-friendly urban precinct around which the apartments revolved. Environmentally sustainable design is a core to the project.

Its high- and low-rise buildings house a diverse mix of 560 apartments. The towers use a crossover design, giving 90 per cent of apartments natural cross-ventilation and a north-orientated living area. The new central street, publicly accessible open spaces and landscaped courtyards work to integrate it seamlessly into its surrounds, along with community facilities including street-level neighbourhood retail.