Covers off lower building - looking shiny and sleek

The covers are off and Harbour Mill will be no ordinary apartment block. Not only does it stand alone in a prominent position, but with the scaffolding removed last week on the lower part of the building, its sleek, shiny, metallic appearance is now showing off.

(It's not apparent to me how some of these panels 'slide' but maybe others know more).

The first photograph is from the south west corner, the second from the south east. It looks like three levels of apartments but there are actually four - there's another row at garden level on the eastern side, plus more on the side of the car park entrance on the west. Plus there's a fifth if you count the next level down, where the cafe/shop will be. There will be a rooftop entertaining area for tenants on top of this section.

I'd be interested in what people think compared with expectations and the picture at the top of my blog.

Fascinating to look back at the original promotion material

I found this on the CBRE Residential Projects website, the real estate company that originally marketed the HM apartments. Not only does it provide interesting context now the finished building is approaching, but it's a challenge to see how much of the vision of a few years ago is being realised.

The central atrium ideas will play out well, and I hope they still intend to include photos and storyboards from the Mill's history. I have not seen the 'sliding aluminium shutters' that will give the building a 'striking, ever-changing external appearance'. Watch this space! And (thank goodness), there's no gymnasium.

But this might be up to us:

" ... it will have resident gardens which could even be turned into allotments allowing vegetables to be grown and harvested.”

Who's for growing some carrots and zucchinis?

RESIDENTIAL ‘BAKE-OVER’

 A $95-Million development at Pyrmont pays homage to the site’s 100 year history as much as it showcases the future of apartment living.

Harbour Mill will be interwoven within the remnant facade of the former Edwin Davey & Sons Flour Mill at the junction of Allen Street and Jones Street. Balconies on some of the 136 apartments will sit behind the remaining walls, giving occupants a sense of history as they look out through the heritage windows to the north, east to the city and west across Wentworth Park.

The mill commenced production in 1896 and continued until 1996, falling into disrepair following its closure. Over time most of the buildings on the site were demolished, although the original facade remains and has become a much-photographed symbol of Sydney’s industrial roots.

Preserving as much of the mill’s history as possible was a priority for the developer Ceerose, which purchased the 3,100sqm site last year. Company founder Edward Doueihi has a connection to the flour mill dating back to when he was a child. His father ran a bakery in Cowper Street, Granville, and he’d often take Edward to the mill to collect supplies.

“I’ve been emotionally attached to the mill since my childhood,” said Mr Doueihi. “Unfortunately most of it has been torn down. Now that I own the site I’m going to build something that reflects the mill’s proud history and my fond memories.”

To ensure an appropriate response, Ceerose staged a design competition and invited some of the city’s top architects. Acclaimed international firm Grimshaw Architects won the competition with a unique solution that pays tribute to the mill’s heritage whilst being underpinned by principles of humane, enduring and sustainable design.

An integral feature of the winning design is restoring the remnant facade, which is clearly visible from the Western Distributor Motorway, and integrating it with the new structure. The building façade will be constructed from large sliding panels which are a tribute to the warehouse and industrial heritage of the area. 

“This will give Harbour Mill an architectural point of difference over most other residential developments,” said Mr Doueihi. “We’ll pay further homage to the mill’s history by displaying photos and storyboards, and by integrating public art into our heritage interpretation strategy.”  

The overall design comprises two interlinked buildings – a four-storey structure which sits within the heritage facade, and a 10-storey structure which ‘steps up and over’ it. Holistically, the new development will take on a chequerboard pattern formed by the aluminium screens on each apartment balcony.

“The design respects the heritage of the mill and the place it has played in the history of Sydney, whilst acknowledging and fitting in with the modern trend coming through in the Pyrmont-Ultimo area,” said Andrew Cortese, a Partner with Grimshaw Architects. “The old and new aspects of the building blend and work together, delivering an unique building.” 

Harbour Mill is configured around a series of interlinked and interlocked atriums and voids that provide light, air and an uplifting sense of ‘theatre’. A central atrium will focus natural light into the heart of the building – an important shift away from the usual artificially-lit corridors and lobbies. 

Because of the intelligent design the public atriums will be filled with fresh clean air – unlike the air-conditioned interiors of most apartment buildings.

Residents will enter their apartments via open perimeter walkways, encouraging interaction and enabling visual connections between levels. 

“We’ve taken a very communal approach – almost a European sensibility – where we’ve created spaces that are shared by all the residents while still maintaining their privacy,” said Mr Cortese. “The building has visual connectivity – you can see people at different levels – and it will have resident gardens which could even be turned into allotments allowing vegetables to be grown and harvested.”

Mr Cortese says city residents are yearning for ‘old world’ living where you know your neighbours and feel an integral part of a community. “It’s the responsibility of architects, town planners and urban designers to successfully blend such traditional principals with passive solar design, energy efficiency, sustainability, home offices and reticulated communications systems to create an environment that gives residents a sense of place.”

The majority of apartments have generous balconies that create private outdoor living spaces which open seamlessly from internal areas. Because the balconies are set within the building facade they provide a level of passive environmental control and protection from the elements. 

Each apartment is designed for maximum operability, with sliding aluminium shutters. Residents will close them for privacy and relief from the sun, or open them to let in light, fresh air and the views. This will give the building a striking, ever-changing external appearance.

“We have retained the mill’s industrial character and strong horizontal lines, but added all the modern touches and comforts for today’s lifestyle needs,” said Mr Cortese. “This extends to providing a cafe on ground level and a communal gymnasium.” 

Kitchens at Harbour Mill are streamlined and functional, with practical stone benchtops, sleek polyurethane cabinets and joinery, and Smeg’s up-market Linear range of appliances. 

Ensuites and bathrooms have the latest selection of ceramic and vitrified floor and wall tiles, glass and frameless mirrors, and Villeroy & Boch tapware to create a neatly tailored appearance which harmonises with the contemporary look.

Living areas have timber flooring, while bedrooms have plush woollen carpet.

Pyrmont – named in 1806 after a fashionable spa town in northern Germany – is one of several fringe CBD suburbs that have undergone a residential renaissance over the past decade.

“Pyrmont offers attractions that most people want – shops, parks, cafes, excitement, recreation, sporting facilities, cycleways and convenience – and is one of Sydney’s most livable suburbs,” said David Milton, Managing Director of CBRE Residential Projects. 

As part of the development, Ceerose is creating a new public link that runs down the western side of the building to connect Ultimo and Pyrmont with the light rail station that has, up until now, been cut off because of the Western Distributor. 

“Residents of Harbour Mill will be within 50 metres of the Wentworth Park light rail station, and just minutes by foot to the Sydney Fish Markets, the Blackwattle Bay waterfront, The Star and Darling Harbour,” said Mr Milton.  

“Harbour Mill has basement parking for 167 vehicles, but Pyrmont is so well served by public transport that many people moving in to the area are getting rid of their cars. There are also spaces for 160 bicycles at Harbour Mill which I can see being used extensively.”

The Goods Line, the Frank Gehry building and new Entertainment Centre

One of the features of Harbour Mill is that there's so much happening in the vicinity. There will always be somewhere interesting to walk to without worrying about a car or public transport. My blog has highlighted many of them.

A new feature of Sydney due to open in the next few months is The Goods Line. The southern section runs from Ultimo Road (near the ABC studios and Haymarket) through to Railway Square, and this is already open.

The northern section extends from Ultimo Road to the Powerhouse Museum, alongside Harris Street and the rail tracks.

It is also the location of the new iconic building that has created great controversy, the first building in Australia by world famous architect, Frank Gehry. It is part of UTS. You can read about some of the controversy here.

The Goods Line has the potential to be an interesting space, a 500 metre walk from Darling Harbour to Railway Square filled with buskers, street theatre, food stalls and places to relax (although it's not like this yet). There's a great video on what it will look like, linked here. Since it's close to HM, it's well worth a look.

You can see the Gehry Building in the background of this picture taken from the north near HM.

Here's a picture of the Gehry Building taken from The Goods Line. You can see the northern section which starts here, at the bridge over Ultimo Street, it not finished and still barred off. This path will lead all the way to the Powerhouse Museum, not far from HM. Don't judge The Goods Line from this picture, visit in a couple of months when it's finished.

Also worth seeing progress on the new Entertainment Centre (the old one will be ripped down at the end of 2015 to make way for apartments). In this photo, you can see the start of the tiering where the seats will go, in front of the yellow columns. So when you go to see a concert there, you will know what it looked like in its early stages. 

Wardrobe, balcony and big Darling Harbour buildings

Lots of activity inside and out. This photograph of the south-west corner shows the balustrade for the balconies, and a glimpse of a couple of wardrobes. From the outside, the building has not changed in the last couple of months but the internal fit out obviously takes time.

Just for the record, this is the western side today, 9 February. Although it's difficult to be sure, it looks like the finish will look different from the original drawings. Seems to be more of these plain metal panels than the louvres in the picture at the top of my blog, but not really clear until the scaffolding comes down.

And a couple of photos from Darling Harbour. The large scale of the new Exhibition and Convention Centre is surprising. It looks like it is being build over Darling Drive (which is currently closed), making the road into a tunnel alongside the rail track. I guess it's a clever use of space.

Below is what looks like the new Entertainment Centre. It's massive. There's no doubt that the new buildings in Darling Harbour are far bigger than the ones they took down. While this is good for activity and business in the area, I hope the scale is not overwhelming, leaving enough open area.

Harbour Mill is within The Bays Precinct study area

The transformation of The Bays Precinct, especially Blackwattle Bay, will have a significant impact on the quality of life in HM. In the next few years, a world class entertainment and living space will open on our doorstep.

You can follow the progress on this website: http://www.thebayssydney.com.au/

And HM is in the study area, shown by the blue shaded area on the map below (I've put a red cross where HM is but it's not easy to see). So we're in the thick of the action. Good action.

The Bays Precinct website says:

The transformation of The Bays Precinct is a great opportunity for Sydney and the State of New South Wales. The Bays Precinct Urban Transformation Program will define a new vision for currently underutilised areas and deliver a destination that will contribute significantly to the economic, cultural and social wellbeing of the city and state.

The program will transform waterfront areas in and around Blackwattle Bay, Rozelle Bay, Rozelle Rail Yards and the heritage-listed White Bay Power Station to provide a vibrant new harbour and foreshore access.

Lift from HM to light rail making good progress

Not much to report on the general appearance of the building from the outside. Most of it is still covered in scaffolding, although you can see more of the external 'skin' has been completed. One day the covers will come off for a dramatic impact. No doubt there's a lot of progress inside, with the mid-year completion expected.

More significant is the new lift well installed on the western side of the building which will link the ground level of HM with the light rail platform. It has three levels, including a mid-level stop where the shop/cafe will be. At this stage, it's not as pretty as in the original drawings, which suggested it might be glass with louvres, rather than concrete. Those with apartments facing west will hope it is covered in attractive cladding.

Of course, this will also be the way to the fish markets, the foreshore and the Bays Precinct.

You can also see where the pavers will be laid along the rock wall to lead from the lift to the train platform, and I guess there will be a fence with the school on the other side.

The cliff has also been cut where the steps up to HM will go, and the rest of the paving to the rail platform. The steps will not be as high as expected from the original drawings. The rock cliff looks attractive, hopefully it will be retained in its natural form.

Anyway, good to see the public works underway as they have involved a lot of negotiation with council and rail authorities over who was responsible for what.