The headquarters for luxury tailoring label Farage comprises office space, two levels of retail and a bespoke atelier, all set within a beautifully transformed corner building in Sydney’s Darlinghurst. The historic site was home to Watters Gallery for almost 60 years, and this reimagining of the building pays tribute to its vibrant past as one of the city’s most significant art sites.
Lofty interiors afford a gallery-like display of the Farage collections, interspersed with sculptures and paintings by leading artists. The brutalist concrete staircase has been retained as the sculptural centrepiece at the concept store’s entrance, connecting retail zones on the ground and first floors while establishing the sleek, modernist aesthetic that carries through the building and juxtaposes with its heritage shell.
The next level up includes offices, meeting areas and a convivial rooftop terrace where a leafy planting scheme by Studio Botanica frames the inner-city outlook. Throughout the building, concrete’s raw, utilitarian quality is complemented by crisp white walls, black-patinaed metal, smoky grey marble and gallery-style track lights.
The interior design is reminiscent of hard-edged minimalism of late 80s and early 90s retail design, with an angular, modern use of concrete and negative space.
Artworks, Grande White Totem and Small Black Totem, Grande White Totem and Small Black Totem, Clementine Maconachie, 2023. Replenish ii, Marisa Purcell, Olsen Gallery, Forest Bathing, Marisa Purcell 2023.
Furniture: Studio Alm , Gray & Co, Sofa, Adraino Piazzesi Okay Sofa, Castorina, Accessories: Greg Natale box & 1977 Crystal Bowl, Studio Alm, Space, Fineworks, Greg Natale, Living Edge. Cushions: Misia. Chairs, Aluminium Group Management Chair, Herman Miller, Living Edge, Robert Plumb. Fabric: Warwick. Lighting: Euroluce, Lambert and Fils. Finishes: Polytec, Crosbie Projects. Fittings & Fixtures: Appliances: Astrawalker.
Photography: Anson Smart