As an adaptive reuse project, The Hensley links the past to the present by breathing new life into the former Mercedes Hall hotel – which was constructed in the 1900s.
Taking two years to complete, the beautiful boutique development is located in Sydney’s Potts Point, and features two adapted heritage terrace apartments with a contemporary addition rising behind.
Comprising of studios, one, two and three bedroom apartments, the building harmoniously co-exists with the heritage architecture of the surrounding streets.
Woods Bagot Principal and lead architect Domenic Alvaro explained that the architects drew their inspiration from the process of adaption – creating a building that is a dynamic counterpoint between new and old:
“The Hensley provides a valued piece of heritage adaptation for Potts Point by preserving and reviving the elegance and craft of area’s Art Deco era. Each apartment is detailed in a timeless material palette that revitalizes the style of Potts Point’s treasured art deco moments – creating a sense of ‘instant history’ by integrating the best of the past with the modern expression of the future.”
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Creating a contemporary and highly liveable residential community while achieving superior acoustics, impact resistance and comfortable living environments was key to the success of the project. Woods Bagot chose plasterboard specialist, Gyprock, high-performance building material, Hebel, and technical guidance from CSR’s Red Book to provide compliant, tested wall and ceiling solutions to achieve these Fire, Acoustic and Thermal performance and design requirements.
“In our office, the Red Book is one of those highly treasured manuals that each team always seems to be fighting for. It makes wall type specification writing easy and has become an integral part of our day to day practice,” says Project Architect and Associate from Woods Bagot, Derek Scholes.
