Exclusive: $35 million Gordons Bay House to Reset Coogee House Price Record
Now known as GB House or Gordons Bay House, the five-bedroom residence has been brought to market through James Ball and Michael Pallier of Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty, who are telling prospective purchasers a record $35 million would be enough to secure the landmark home.
4 min
For years, the progress of the remarkable house at 1 Major Street was observed by the thousands of people who followed Sydney’s Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk.
Perched directly above Gordons Bay, its construction unfolded in unusually public view. Walkers could see the enigmatic white structure gradually taking shape on the cliff, even as the completed residence was being designed to preserve privacy from the path and neighbouring properties.
Now known as GB House or Gordons Bay House, the five-bedroom residence has been brought to market through James Ball and Michael Pallier of Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty, who are telling prospective purchasers a record $35 million would be enough to secure the landmark home.
The residential price records for Coogee was set in 2024 when the penthouse atop Ballamac House, the redevelopment of a historic mansion into a boutique collection of apartments, sold for just over $20 million.
Architecture at the water’s edge
Designed by Renato D’Ettorre Architects, GB House occupies approximately 740sqm at the northern edge of Coogee, looking across the protected waters of Gordons Bay and out to the Pacific Ocean.
Its restrained white exterior draws on the elemental architecture of the Greek islands. Behind that comparatively quiet street presence, perforated glazed brickwork filters sunlight, ocean air and fragments of blue water into the house.
The design is based on alternating experiences of openness and enclosure. Broad ocean views are not revealed all at once. Instead, the residence moves between sheltered courtyards, framed openings, reflective water and expansive rooms facing the coastline.
Arrival is marked by a reflection pond and the sound of waves below. From there, the house opens gradually towards its north-east aspect and uninterrupted views across Gordons Bay.
The residence spans approximately 538sqm internally, with five ensuite bedrooms and six bathrooms. The principal suite occupies an entire level and includes a private courtyard, ocean-facing terrace, fireplace, dressing area and a Tadelakt-finished bathroom with an Agape bath positioned towards the view.
One of the remaining bedroom suites is configured as a self-contained studio with its own entrance, giving the house flexibility for guests, adult children or live-in assistance.
At the centre of the home is a vast living pavilion with a sunken lounge and ceilings rising to approximately five metres. A dramatic internal rock wall and garden extend through the double-height volume, accompanied by a 2.5-metre waterfall cascading into a fish pond.
The feature reinforces the central architectural idea: this is a house in which stone, water, light and planting are treated as part of the interior rather than scenery beyond it.
Marble, fire and filtered light
The kitchen is anchored by a sculptural cantilevered bench in Verdi Alpi marble, complemented by Miele appliances, a Barazza gas hob, Zip HydroTap and concealed butler’s pantry.
There are several living and entertaining zones, including a mezzanine office or media area, a subterranean music room, theatre or rumpus room, and a temperature-controlled cellar.
Three integrated fireplaces serve the principal bedroom and two living areas, while hydronic underfloor heating and four zones of reverse-cycle airconditioning provide year-round climate control.
The house is also equipped with smart-home technology, timed blinds, solar photovoltaic and solar-thermal systems, custom joinery and Boffi tapware.
Outside, an ocean-facing garden descends towards the cliff. A heated infinity pool with swim jets appears to merge with the Pacific horizon, while separate entertaining areas include a north-facing barbecue terrace, outdoor refrigeration, pizza oven and retractable awning.
The campaign also refers to plans for an additional ocean terrace suspended above the sea. Buyers should independently establish the approval status, conditions and transferability of those plans before treating them as part of the property’s future potential.
One of Australia’s most awarded coastal houses
GB House is already well known within Australian architecture.
The project received the 2019 Wilkinson Award for Residential Architecture from the NSW chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects—one of the state’s most important awards for residential design.
It also received a national residential architecture award, the Horbury Hunt Residential Award at the Think Brick Awards, and recognition for its interiors and use of materials.
The home has appeared in architectural and design publications, as well as film and television coverage. Dimark Constructions, which documents the project in its portfolio, credits Justin Alexander for its published photography.
Its awards are significant because they establish GB House as more than a newly presented prestige listing. It is an already recognised work of Australian residential architecture, created for one of the most difficult and valuable types of site in Sydney: an exposed coastal holding that must balance views, weather, privacy and public visibility.
From $6.9 million to a potential suburb record
Public property records indicate 1 Major Street last changed hands for $6.9 million in 2010, long before the former home was demolished.
Although the residence became a familiar landmark to people using the coastal walk, the architecture was conceived to provide shelter from that very exposure. Angled walls, courtyards and screened openings protect its living spaces while maintaining direct contact with the water.
That combination gives the current campaign unusual reach. It is a trophy home with international architectural credentials, but it is also part of Sydney’s public coastal memory, a house thousands of people have walked past, watched evolve and wondered about from the path below.
GB House at a glance
- Address: 1 Major Street, Coogee, NSW
- Also known as: GB House and Gordons Bay House
- Price guide: $35 million
- Selling agents: James Ball and Michael Pallier, Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty
- Architect: Renato D’Ettorre Architects
- Construction: Dimark Constructions
- Land: Approximately 740sqm
- Internal area: Approximately 538sqm
- Bedrooms: Five, all with ensuites
- Bathrooms: Six
- Parking: Double garage plus two off-street spaces
- Aspect: North-east
- Key amenities: Infinity pool, gym, steam room, music room, theatre/rumpus room, cellar, internal waterfall and fish pond
- Previous recorded sale: $6.9 million in 2010
- Current Coogee property record: $20 million-plus Ballamac penthouse sale
- Previous freestanding-house record: $13.1 million on Wolseley Road
- Listing: View the live campaign
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For Central Element, the start of work at Pearl represents another step in the company’s growing eastern suburbs pipeline.
3 min
Central Element has officially commenced construction on Pearl Bondi, its highly anticipated $150 million luxury residential project in the heart of Bondi Beach.
The development at 20–22 Sandridge Street will comprise just seven residences: two houses and five apartments. That tightly limited collection gives Pearl a markedly different character from the larger apartment projects reshaping other parts of Sydney.
Architecture has been entrusted to MHN Design Union, while Madeleine Blanchfield Architects is responsible for the interiors. Together, the two practices have been tasked with creating homes that respond to Bondi’s coastal setting while delivering the privacy, space and refinement expected at the premium end of the eastern suburbs market.
Central Element is acting as both developer and builder, giving the company direct oversight of the project from design through to construction and completion. Kinkora is the joint venture partner, with MA Financial providing project funding.
The official groundbreaking on Friday brought together senior representatives from the development, design, construction, finance and sales teams.
Attendees included Central Element general manager Dean Chivas and CE head of construction Adrian Banks, alongside Madeleine Blanchfield, founder and director of Madeleine Blanchfield Architects, and Amanda Stollery, director at MHN Design Union.
They were joined by Kinkora investment manager Tony Massaro, MA Financial investment manager Heath Grundy and Ray White Projects managing partner Eddie Mansour.
Nathan Chivas, Managing Director of Central Element, spoke to the vision behind Pearl and the significance of bringing such an ambitious, design-led project to market in Bondi.
“We’ve brought together a team of acclaimed local design talent who understand Bondi intimately and share our passion for crafting something extraordinary that honours its setting.”
For Central Element, the start of work at Pearl represents another step in the company’s growing eastern suburbs pipeline.
The milestone follows the recent completion of Ballamac House in Coogee, where Central Element sensitively restored and transformed a historic residence dating from the 1860s into a collection of eight luxury homes.
Pearl carries that focus on tightly held locations and limited residential collections into Bondi Beach, although with an entirely new architectural proposition. Its combination of five apartments and two houses also gives the development a broader mix than a conventional boutique apartment building.
With construction now under way, attention will turn to how the project’s architectural and interior concepts are translated into the completed residences.
In one of Australia’s most closely watched property markets, the small number of homes, experienced project team and central Bondi location make Pearl a significant addition to the suburb’s next generation of premium residences.
Project details
- Project: Pearl Bondi
- Address: 20–22 Sandridge Street, Bondi Beach, NSW
- Development value: $150 million
- Residences: Seven—two houses and five apartments
- Developer and builder: Central Element
- Joint venture partner: Kinkora
- Funding partner: MA Financial
- Architecture: MHN Design Union
- Interior design: Madeleine Blanchfield Architects
- Sales: Ray White Projects Eddie Mansour
- Listing: Pearl Bondi
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