138 Barcom Avenue
Darlinghurst, Sydney
Engelen Moore

Engelen Moore turns a building to the north and inserts a small courtyard to bring light and air into sleek lofts

© Ross Honeysett

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By Michael Walters

When it comes to Sydney apartments, harbor views are paramount, especially if they include a peek at one of the city’s two famous landmarks: the Harbor Bridge or the Opera House. So architect Ian Moore and his former firm Engelen Moore (he and business partner Tina Engelen recently dissolved the practice and went separate ways) faced a huge challenge in attracting urban professionals to 138 Barcom Avenue, an apartment block in an unsavory inner-city neighborhood that boasted no views—not even of the city itself—and little exposure to the coveted northern sun. As if to underline the challenge, one of the project architects was mugged on-site at the start of the job.

One of Sydney’s leading real estate agents, John McGrath, decided to try his hand at property development with 138 Barcom Avenue. Impressed with Engelen Moore’s reputation for sharp-edged Modernism—as seen in the Rose House [Record, July 2001, page 108]—and the firm’s caché with upscale professionals, McGrath asked Moore to create a strong piece of architecture rather than just maximize the number of units on the site.

To accommodate modern lifestyles, the project would feature generously sized units with large balconies. Perhaps Moore’s toughest task was bringing enough daylight into a complex with a narrow north-facing street frontage and a six-story commercial building looming next door. McGrath’s bet on Engelen Moore paid off when all of the 26 residential units sold 18 months before construction began.

An irregular site with three street frontages and an 18-foot drop between two of them forced the architects to devise a plan that pieces three small buildings together like a puzzle. By inserting a narrow courtyard into the center of the site and using grade changes to tuck parking underneath, Moore turned the property’s problems into advantages. In doing so, he created an apartment complex that twists to capture light and air and offers seven different types of living units.

Want the full story? Read the entire article in our November 2004 issue.
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Formal name of Project:
138 Barcom Avenue

Location:
Darlinghurst, Sydney

Gross square footage:
29,665 sq. ft.

Total construction cost:
$6 Million

Developer:
Jumbuk

Architect:
Engelen Moore
44 McLachlan Avenue
Rushcutters Bay 2011, Sydney
www.engelenmoore.com.au