This converted substation in Sydney’s Darlinghurst solves a space conundrum

Tribe Studio architects turned a defunct electrical substation into an award-winning multi-level home in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst in 2019 – and now it’s for sale.

The unique property dates from the 1930s and is on a crowded lane in the east Sydney neighbourhood, packed with old brick factories and brick terrace houses. Using the building’s brown-brick facade as the starting point for its adaptive reuse, Tribe added a carapace of transparent Venetian glass bricks and perforated brickwork to diffuse natural light across the interiors and hide inhabitants from prying eyes.

At night, the building takes on a lantern-like glow.

A perforated steel-mesh staircase connects four levels of the Sydney property, which belies its 50 sq m footprint thanks to a clever configuration. Crowning the lot is a rooftop terrace and pool, with three bedrooms, a living room and a dine-in kitchen below.

Interiors pack a textural punch, too, thanks to marble, wood floors and black steel accents that pay homage to the substation’s industrial roots. And what it lacks in square footage, it gains in volume with ceiling heights rising to 4.5m and built-in storage keeping sight lines free and flowing.

The converted substation is for auction via BresicWhitney at 12:45 pm on 25 June 2022, with a guide price of 3.5m AUD.