Five apartment developments that revolutionised the way Sydneysiders live

Sydney has had a long history with apartments, dating right back to The Albany, completed in Macquarie Street in 1905.

But which developments were ground-breaking? We asked Dr Charles Pickett, architectural historian and co-author of Homes in the Sky, to help us come up with the top five.

Some were controversial, others inspired us to abandon the quarter-acre block. All of them changed the way we lived.

Nowadays, almost one in three Sydneysiders call high-density living home. Here are five of the reasons why:

The Astor (1923), 123 Macquarie Street

The Astor Photo: Supplied

Sydney’s grand old dame, was squarely aimed at people who would once have lived in mansions with servants. The Astor was a landmark building in so many ways. It was the tallest residential building in Sydney, and first to be based on a concrete slab construction.

The Astor was way ahead of its time. It had an internal telephone system, two elevators and a restaurant/kitchen in the basement from which apartment owners would order their meals.

There were 52 apartments in The Astor in 1923. That number is less today, as people have bought up adjoining apartments and aggregated them.

The Astor rooftop Photo: Supplied

The most famous aggregation was when Barry Humphries joined his apartment (801) with the one upstairs (901) and had his builder shoehorn in a spiral staircase, much to the body-corporate’s surprise.

It has since been joined with apartment 802 to create a massive 440 square metre, five-bedroom mansion flat, owned by Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton. 

Macleay Regis (1939), 12 Macleay Street, Potts Point

The Macleay Regis Photo: Supplied.

Although not the first apartment block along Macleay Street (that honour belongs to Kingsclere) the Macleay Regis is certainly the most famous. The 10-storey art-deco tower epitomised the 1930s New York-style apartments that eventually dominated the area.

The tower was, and remains, a pretty special place to call home. In the early days it included an industrial kitchen on the eighth floor, where the “hired help” could prepare meals for their well-heeled clients.

The entrance to the Macleay Regis in Potts Point. Photo: domain.com.au

The creative class have long been attracted to the Macleay Regis. Six months ago, bon vivant, Leo Schofield purchased a one-bedroom apartment on the first floor, after leasing in the building for the past four years. “I love it here,” he says. “The place is marvellously managed with exemplary maintenance. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

Schofield says his apartment still boasts many of the original features, such as walk-in closet, cream-tiled bathroom, high ceilings, and parquetry floors.

“It has a bit of character, instead of being ‘blandsville’ like so many modern units.”

Blues Point Tower (1961), 14 Blues Point Road, McMahons Point

Blues Point Tower Photo: Bruce Elder

 An apartment with harbour views for half the price of a fibro shack in Ryde? Are you serious? And yet when Blues Point Tower threw open its doors in the early 60s, nobody wanted one. Sydney was still a long way from embracing high-rise living.

Despite attracting its share of controversy, architect Harry Seidler considered the 25-storey BPT one of his best buildings.

The tower stemmed from a previous concept from lobbyists who wanted high-density apartments for McMahons Point, whereby every resident would have enjoyed a view of the harbour.

One of the apartments inside Blues Point Tower. Photo: domain.com.au

BPT was one of Sydney’s first strata title buildings, heralding a new age of high-rise living. Originally the were 144 apartments (many have since been aggregated) comprising studios, one, two and three-bedders. The top floor wasn’t a penthouse, but a communal laundry with the best views in Sydney.

The tower’s most famous tenant was media mogul, Rupert Murdoch who had an apartment in the building in the 1960s.

Elizabeth Court, (1967) Meriton Street, Gladesville

Harry Triguboff’s apartments on Meriton Street, Gladesville. Photo: Supplied

It mightn’t look like much, and it broke no new ground when it came to architecture or design, but this three-storey, 18-apartment brick walk-up kicked off the career of Harry Triguboff, and in so doing resulted in the Meritonisation of Sydney’s suburbs.

Today, around 3 per cent of Sydneysiders live in a Meriton apartment.

Republic 2 (2000) 50 Burton Street, Darlinghurst

Republic 2 in Darlinghurst Photo: Supplied

The development that made apartment living sexy again.

Republic 2, designed by “starchitects” Burley Katon Halliday (with input from Marchese and Partners), was one of Sydney’s first designer, apartment complexes and it broke new ground in the way that Sydney property was marketed. “They are running naked, crawling naked, topless and beautiful on a mysterious rock landscape…” teased the now-collectable sales brochure.

Despite being 17 years old, the building still looks contemporary, proving that great design is timeless. And the three-level water courtyard with 25-metre-lap pool remains one of the best in the city.

Agency by Alison Coopes is selling the Republic 2 penthouse, with interest around $8.5 million. 

The Republic 2 penthouse Photo: Supplied