'It's rare to find': Inside a sky-high apartment built in a 1930s concrete silo

• Owners: Russell Rodrigo and Michael Beckett
• Address: 40/1 Gladstone Street, Newtown 
• Type of property: An apartment inside a converted silo
• Price guide: $2 million

Voluminous concrete silos built in the 1930s for the safe storage of wheat fast became Newtown’s hottest address when renowned architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer (TZG) reimagined them into unique “sky homes”. Locals Russell Rodrigo and Michael Beckett watched the conversion unfold and were enamoured from the get-go.

Rodrigo and Beckett moved into the multi-award-winning Newtown Silos in 2009, having bought an apartment on the ninth floor. But when number 40 – the only apartment to occupy an entire level – became available in 2015, they moved up to the 11th floor. And that’s when Rodrigo, an architect and lecturer at the University of Technology Sydney, worked his magic.

For Sale - Price On Request

40/1 Gladstone Street, Newtown NSW 2042

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“For me, it was about the circular geometry, the concrete materiality and the views,” he explains. “It’s rare to find circular apartments. It’s a different way of living; you flow rather than move.” 

With 270-degree views of the city skyline and five balconies – one off of each bedroom, the kitchen and the living-dining space – Beckett and Rodrigo set about reworking the entire floor plan of the three-bedroom apartment, stripping paint from the walls and ripping up carpet and vinyl flooring.

“I spent six months ripping the paint from the concrete walls – it was a filthy time-consuming job, but also a labour of love,” Rodrigo sas.

They reorientated the kitchen to the north, laid French oak floorboards throughout, and added new lighting to emphasise the circular geometry. The renovation also included a reconfigured bedroom, two new bathrooms and timber decking on the balconies.

“The light in all the rooms is what grabs me. During the lockdowns, we made the bedroom on the western side into an office, and it was an absolutely beautiful place to work from. And if you wanted a break, you just had to step out onto the balcony,” says Beckett, who has retired from a highly lauded IT career. 

With impressive views and an abundance of outdoor space, the apartment really shines when you step out onto a balcony. Each has a succulent garden that has attracted native birdlife, including rainbow lorikeets, currawongs and kookaburras. It’s the perfect setting to watch the ever-changing skyline, be it fireworks that light up the night sky or the weather changing in the distance. 

“It is quite a large house for two people, but it comes into its own when we’re entertaining because of the balcony spaces,” Rodrigo says. “Everyone is gob-smacked when they open the doors and see the views, and the connection from inside to outside is seamless.

“When we entertain, everyone heads to the balconies. Even if it’s cold, people will go out to the balconies and take in the views, especially during the New Year’s Eve fireworks and VIVID.”

When it is just the two of them, Rodrigo and Beckett relish the privacy and security afforded by having the whole floor to themselves. And it’s those quiet moments of solitude in which they bask the most.

“The kitchen is one of my favourite rooms in the apartment because I love to have breakfast there and go out onto the balcony in the morning, and also the front western bedroom because working from there was absolutely wonderful,” Beckett says. 

Rodrigo says the main living space – the combined lounge and dining – is his favourite: “It is the one that most directly faces the view and the middle balcony, so it gets light throughout the day and that panoramic view when sitting on the lounge.”

Yet, when Rodrigo and Beckett want to be amongst it all, the thriving lifestyle of Newtown is just a short lift ride away. 

“It’s such a great location in Newtown,” Beckett says. “We’re right near King Street and Enmore Road, so it’s a very convenient lifestyle. Addison Road Markets, Sydney Park and Broadway, plus all the cafes, movie houses and shopping. Everything is within walking distance.” 

Although torn about leaving what was their dream apartment, Rodrigo and Beckett know it’s time to move on and pursue other interests and renovation projects they have in the pipeline.

“I love living in the circular concrete forms, it’s slightly industrial, but on another level, it’s a very warm, welcoming and cocooning environment. We will miss it,” Beckett says.