Sky high
SJB
An authentic connection to light and nature defines this rooftop apartment.
An elevated experience of light, nature and the sky defines this rooftop apartment in inner-city Sydney that ponders the possibilities for high-density living.
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01 A sculptural skylight above the ensuite shower embraces the view to the sky and reduces the need for artificial light. 02 In the expressive bathroom, abundant marble segues into marine-blue tiles in the curvy shower.
03 The apartment’s concept is “a garden that you happen to live in” and this finds its ultimate expression in the outdoor bathtub.
04 Bathroom zones are compartmentalized, eliminating the need for screens.
05 Mirrored cabinets accentuate the veined marble, creating a rich and dramatic experience.
It’s unusual for residents of penthouse apartments to describe their homes as an “investment in outdoor space.” But this is precisely the thinking behind Cleveland Rooftop, a rooftop apartment in inner-city Sydney that posits an alternative vision for apartment design. This apartment challenges many of the conventions that have become commonplace in multiresidential architecture – from standardized colour palettes and conventional floor plans to meagre outdoor areas with little opportunity for lush greenery to thrive.
Resident Adam Haddow took an atypical route to owning this apartment. As director of architecture at SJB in Sydney, he purchased the space while his firm was designing the apartments in the Demco Machinery building below it, and worked with the developer to realize it. And, as project director on some of Sydney’s most lauded apartments, he knows well that exploring ideas untested in the market comes with added risk that developers are often unwilling to take on. As a result, Cleveland Rooftop is a very personal expression of Adam’s thoughts on what apartment living in Australia could look like.
“In my own place, I feel the obligation to experiment with ideas about making apartment living better and to challenge preconceived ideas,” he says.
The native garden by landscape designer William Dangar “climb over, through and around the apartment.” Bedrooms and bathrooms
are compartmentalized into private sanctuaries and each room is visually connected to one of two private terraces, or to views up to the sky through skylights.
Inside, colour is used as a statement against white and beige. In the main bathroom, inspired by the ritual of bathing, abundant marble gives way to gloss marine-blue tiles in the shower, which is crowned by a conical skylight. At the bathroom entry, a twin vanity in white/grey marble separates the shower and the toilet, segregating functions and eliminating the need for screens. The journey from the marble-lined entry into the shower and up a series of crescent-shaped marble steps to the terrace is ceremonial. And while the ultimate destination – a bathtub ensconced in the native plants on the terrace – might be a little confronting for introverts, Adam assures us that the garden is established enough to preserve a nude bather’s modesty.
The immediate impact of colour on entering the kitchen is an unambiguous statement about perennial muted palettes. Rich green cabinets are combined with stainless steel benchtops and a mirrored splashback to create a functional space that, together with the lush garden beyond the window, envelops the user in a sea of green. A plate steel island with a granite top positioned between the kitchen and dining area is designed for entertaining, and don’t let those slender legs fool you: the island has been engineered so that you can dance on it!
06 An open-plan kitchen is eschewed in favour of a discrete room that segregates the cooking area from the living and dining spaces.
07 Emerald green cabinets in the kitchen intensify the connection to the landscape.
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08 The rooftop garden climbs over, through and around the innercity apartment, allowing the occupants to retreat from city life. Photograph: Matthew Densley.
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Architect SJB
Level 2, 490 Crown Street Surry Hills NSW 2010
+61 2 9380 9911 media@sjb.com.au sjb.com.au
Project team
Adam Haddow, Juan MuñozTamayo, Marco Cubillos, Stefanie Hughes, Halima Begum
Builder
Made Property Group
Consultants
Engineer: SCP Consulting Joinery: Glavcom Landscaping: William Dangar Heritage: GBA Heritage Certifier: McKenzie Group Consulting
Kitchen products
Flooring: Tongue n Groove Vecchio European flooring;
Eco Outdoor Endicott splitstone granite; Arabescato honed marble
Joinery: Stainless steel benchtop; custom granite island benchtop; glass mirror splashback; polyurethane cupboards in Dulux
‘Gully Green’
Sinks and tapware: Franke sinks; Astra Walker mixers; Zip Hydrotap hot water tap Appliances: Miele gas cooktop, oven, steam oven, inducted fridge/freezer and rangehood Windows and doors:
Vitrocsa windows; Breezeway louvre windows
Furniture: E15 Fayland dining table and Fawley bench
Bathroom products
Internal walls: Surface
Gallery Denim tiles; Arabescato honed marble
Flooring: Arabescato honed marble
Joinery: Custom Arabescato marble benchtops and splashbacks
Lighting: Rich Brilliant Willing Crisp lights
Tapware and fittings: Astra Walker tapware, shower hand, shower rose, robe hook and wall mixer
Windows and doors: Vitrocsa windows; Breezeway louvre windows
Sanitaryware: Parisi custom Arabescato marble basin