HERITAGE WAREHOUSES REBORN AS SYDNEY WORKSPACES UNDER THE HARBOUR BRIDGE

Six historic warehouses beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge have been given a new lease on life, re-emerging as Work inc., a co-working precinct housing over 100 businesses.

Built in the 1920s to support the construction of the Harbour Bridge, the Lavender Bay structures have served various roles over the decades, from housing highway patrol units to operating as car dealerships.

Founder Mark Davidson said the potential of the site became clear when he first encountered the abandoned Bay 10 warehouse.

“When I first stumbled upon the abandoned Bay 10 warehouse, it was leaky and forgotten, but I saw incredible potential,” Davidson said.

“We weren’t just building offices; we were building a community, creating a space where the grit of Sydney’s industrial heritage could inspire the next generation of innovators.”

The development retains much of the original industrial character, with soaring concrete walls and exposed steelwork now sitting alongside floating glass office pods, curated interiors and collaborative breakout zones.

Among the site’s quirks is Bay Ten Espresso, a café housed in a converted shipping container once seized during a major drug smuggling operation. It now serves as a coffee hub for both tenants and the wider Lavender Bay community.

Davidson said its inclusion underscored the broader theme of transformation.

“When we found this particular shipping container, its illicit past made it an even more compelling part of our story of reinvention. Now, it’s serving up a much-needed, perfectly legal kind of fix,” he said.

Work inc’s mix of preserved heritage and contemporary design has turned a piece of Sydney’s industrial history into a case study in adaptive reuse, while providing an unconventional workspace for the city’s growing business community.

Alexander Phillips has unveiled his first newly launched trophy campaign since establishing Ray White Phillips & Co, with the landmark Randwick estate Earlswood being offered with a guide of $10.5 million.

The listing is an early statement for Phillips’ new Woollahra-based agency. Less than a month after opening, Ray White Phillips & Co had already secured more than $30 million across a series of booked auction campaigns, including the $9 million sale of 92 Ocean Street, Bondi, and sales in Waverley, Bronte, Clovelly, Paddington and Coogee.

Phillips also recently sold 9 Kenneth Street, Tamarama, for $20.25 million, the highest reported Eastern Beaches sale of 2026.

The latest addition to the agency’s books is one of the eastern suburbs’ more distinctive estates.

Occupying 778 sqm at 54 Dutruc Street, Earlswood pairs a restored Victorian Italianate manor with an adjoining two-storey contemporary residence designed by X-PACE Design Group.

The original home was built in 1891 and is a locally listed heritage residence within Randwick’s St Marks conservation area. Its restoration retains much of the formality and detail expected of a grand Victorian property, including a substantial entrance foyer, frescoes by Augusto Lorenzini, four-metre ceilings, marble fireplaces and a series of reception and entertaining rooms.

Four king-sized bedrooms are arranged on one level, while an attic retreat captures views towards the ocean. More recent additions include a custom kitchen with Gaggenau appliances, a butler’s pantry, Spotted Gum floors and ducted air-conditioning.

Next door, the second residence takes a distinctly contemporary approach. Off-form concrete, wide oak floorboards and clean architectural lines establish a deliberate contrast with the ornate historic manor.

The modern home contains three upper-level ensuite bedrooms, two living areas, a designer kitchen, courtyard and north-facing rooftop terrace. Villeroy & Boch-appointed terrazzo bathrooms and Italian lighting continue the detailed finish found throughout the estate.

Although architecturally different, the two homes have been designed to operate together or independently. Each has its own entrance, while both connect to a four-car basement containing a vehicle turntable, wine cellar and internal lift access.

The configuration lends itself to multigenerational living, accommodation for adult children or extended family, or a principal residence with a separate income-producing home. The properties have also been prepared for possible future title subdivision, subject to council approval.

The estate spans approximately 717sqm of internal floor area and has a 39-metre frontage to Rae Street, as well as landscaped gardens and dual-street access. It last changed hands for $10.75 million in November 2023, according to publicly available property records.

Earlswood arrives as Phillips begins the next phase of a 24-year career in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. He has been ranked among Australia’s leading residential agents for more than a decade, with his team reported to transact more than $1 billion in property annually across more than 400 clients.

Phillips said his decision to launch Ray White Phillips & Co was driven by the industry’s increasing reliance on technology, data and network reach, while maintaining his team’s focus on the eastern suburbs.

For Ray White, Earlswood provides an appropriately high-profile introduction to its newest prestige operation: a rare dual-residence property that offers both a carefully preserved piece of Randwick’s history and a markedly contemporary way of living.

Earlswood at 54 Dutruc Street, Randwick, is being marketed by Alexander Phillips of Ray White Phillips & Co through expressions of interest closing November 5.

HERITAGE WAREHOUSES REBORN AS SYDNEY WORKSPACES UNDER THE HARBOUR BRIDGE

A cluster of century-old warehouses beneath the Harbour Bridge has been transformed into a modern workplace hub, now home to more than 100 businesses.

Restored Victorian Italianate manor Earlswood combines two substantial residences on 778sqm and leads the prestige offering from the newly established Ray White Phillips & Co.