Rose Bay House: Sydney’s newest waterfront mansion
A $20 million rebuild is set to reshape Rose Bay’s dress circle, with Tribe Studio proposing a sustainable, sculptural mansion to replace the existing trophy home and reclaim its coveted harbour views.
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What happens in one of Sydney’s most affluent suburbs when a neighbour’s trees block your panoramic views of the Harbour? You build a new $20 million house.
That’s the reality in Rose Bay, where there are plans for a knockdown rebuild of the trophy home Indah on the dress circle Bayview Hill Road. That last sold for just over $27 million in 2015 when it was bought by barrister Georgina Black.
Two years ago, Black sought to have four recently planted palm trees on her neighbour’s property removed because they obstructed her view of the Sydney Opera House.
Council rejected the application, so Black took the matter to the Land and Environment Court. They also sided with her neighbour.
Now a new four-level home is planned for the prime 888 sqm block. The documents suggest it will be more in keeping with its location than the existing five-bedroom, glass-swathed mansion.
In its Design Statement submitted to Woollahra Council, Tribe Studio Architects described Rose Bay House as an “ambitious project.” They said they aim to set a high watermark for sustainable and Country-centred design.
Ironically, the report notes that, in a traditional sense, they are “being a good neighbour to the surrounding sites.”
“We are honouring shared views, we are creating landscape buffers, and we have liaised closely with neighbours where possible to secure their support for the proposal,” the report states.
They also say they are driven by being a “good neighbour” to the Harbour.
“In this prominent location, the house is a shared foreshore for everyone using the Harbour. The design reinstates a sandstone, bushy foreshore and reduces the sense of highly reflective, large glass spans that dominate the existing dwelling.”
“We hope to inspire a new generation of luxury that is not reliant on imports and extraction, but rather is inventive, crafted and responsible.”
The elements of the home are categorised for longevity to manage maintenance, upgrades, and overall durability. Permanent elements are designed to last for hundreds of years.
The new home will span four levels. The entry level will feature an open-plan kitchen, living, and dining area opening to gun-barrel views of the Harbour.
Two levels will sit below ground. The lowest level includes a natural pool and a quarry-like, double-height outdoor dining area and undercroft pool zone. Tribe drew inspiration from the Ca’n Terra House by Ensamble Studio in Menorca, Spain, converted in 2020 from an abandoned limestone quarry.
The entire top level will be a dedicated master suite with a dressing room and ensuite. In total, six bedrooms are proposed, along with several home office spaces and lounge areas.
It would be realistic that given the purchase price of the home a decade ago, and a $20 million rebuild, the new trophy residence would become one of the priciest in Rose Bay.
The current Rose Bay record was set earlier this year when a harbourfront home on Tivoli Avenue, with three separate residences on the 1,138 sqm block, sold for a reported $82.5 million.
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Set on one of the city’s last absolute riverfront sites, The Riversdale by Mosaic combines irreplaceable waterfront ownership with one of Brisbane’s most significant residential opportunities.
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Abadeen, the Lower North Shore’s most active and prominent residential developer, together with investment partner Phoenix Property Investors, has lodged a State Significant Development Application to transform the former Honeysuckle Garden and Midas site on Military Road into 100 premium new homes.
With an estimated completed value of $230 million, the proposed development will transform the former Honeysuckle Garden and Midas site into a landmark mixed-use residential community comprising 100 premium residences, activated ground-floor retail and a resort-style rooftop wellness and recreation precinct designed to become one of the Lower North Shore’s most exceptional resident amenities.
The proposal has been carefully designed to respond to the site’s varied street frontages and surrounding neighbourhood. The building comprises predominantly five and nine storeys, steppingdown towards Hale Road to reduce its visual impact, with the tenth level rooftop
wellness facilities rather than residential apartments. This built form remains below the 12-storey outcome identified through Mosman Council’s recently endorsed Masterplan process, demonstrating a considered approach to delivering much-needed housing while respecting the site’s context and neighbouring properties.
Designed by leading Australian practice DKO Architecture, under the direction of Senior Associate Matthew Ritchard, the proposal has been conceived as a contemporary response to Mosman’s unique landscape, history and community.
Occupying a prominent position on Military Road between Cremorne and Mosman villages, the site is close to boutique retail, acclaimed dining, harbour beaches, leading schools and excellent public transport connections. Upper-level residences would enjoy panoramic views stretching north across Middle Harbour, south to the Sydney CBD skyline, east to Balmoral and Sydney Heads, and west across the Lower North Shore.
Abadeen Executive Chairman Justin Brown said the project represented an opportunity to deliver a new generation of homes for Mosman that responded to changing buyer needs while remaining respectful of the suburb’s established character.
“This is one of the most significant sites to come to market on the Lower North Shore in many years,” Brown says.
“The apartments have been designed as genuine long-term homes, with efficient floor plans that maximise usable living areas, generous internal storage, strong natural light and practical connections between internal and external spaces. A diverse range of apartment sizes and configurations provide greater housing choice for individuals, couples, families and local downsizers.
“The focus has been on creating homes that caters for a broad range of buyers, from young professionals purchasing their first home, to couples establishing themselves, growing families and local downsizers who want to remain in Mosman.”
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