The Development Building a Vibrant, Layered Lifestyle in North Sydney

Published by: domain.com.au

There’s a new buzz about North Sydney. The harbour city’s second CBD has always had plenty of attractions, but now they’re bolstered by the arrival of the new Metro, the reopening of the extensively renovated North Sydney Pool and the arrival of luxury residential apartments like The Walden.

“The Metro has completely reshaped North Sydney’s connectivity, effectively putting the CBD and Barangaroo just minutes away,” says Andrew Hrsto, founder and chief executive officer of property developer and builder ALAND, which is building The Walden on Walker Street.

“Victoria Cross station has brought new dining, bars and retail and a vibrancy that wasn’t here before the Metro opened,” Hrsto says. “North Sydney no longer feels like a place people only come to work; it’s become a lifestyle destination.

“This combination of connectivity, convenience and a lively neighbourhood is a big part of The Walden’s appeal.”

Capitalising on an elevated site on the eastern fringe of North Sydney, The Walden is a 30-storey luxury residential development featuring one, two, three and four-bedroom residences alongside a future penthouse collection.

The opening of the Metro, coupled with the return of the iconic Olympic pool, is elevating a lifestyle that those in the know already cherish for its proximity to the city and to nature, with harbourside walking and running trails, and postcard views of the Harbour Bridge.

Now more connected than ever, North Sydney is coming of age as a business and residential district, with a thriving dining precinct where established players such as Antica Dining, RAFI North Sydney and Cecilia are all steps from each other.

“When I started out in my career, North Sydney was just offices,” says Ben Pomroy, principal of leading Australian architecture and interiors practice Rothelowman, which has designed The Walden for ALAND.

Rothelowman has relished conceiving a design for The Walden that is clearly residential and yet feels identifiably “of North Sydney”, Pomroy says. “We wanted to make the most of the site’s amazing views to the harbour [and] the tessellated arrangement of the building deliberately references the sandstone ground plane. While the building is tall, you will look at it and definitely see that it’s housing, not an anonymous glass-walled office building.”
Pomroy says he and the architectural team “designed from the inside out” with an apartment planned for maximum liveability dictating the aesthetic.

By rotating the tower off the traditional grid, the team has ensured every single apartment is on a corner, giving them environmental benefits such as sunlight and natural cross ventilation – and those stellar views.

“Having two aspects from every part of the dwelling makes it a much more dynamic place to live – it feels more like a home,” Pomroy says.

The site and the architecture are what’s drawing people to The Walden.

“The views are without a doubt the hero; people stop to take them in,” Andrew Hrsto says. “Whether it’s looking across to the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, north over the lower north shore or east towards the Heads, buyers are connecting with the sense of openness and calm.”

Residents of the oversized apartments will enjoy expansive kitchens, wintergarden balconies and exclusive access to The Pavilion, a four-storey amenity building flanking the residences.

The space will be home to a concierge service, sauna, wellness studio, gym, resort-style rooftop pool and sundeck, residents’ lounge and bookable private dining rooms.

“One comment that has really stayed with me came from a downsizer who said, ‘It doesn’t feel like we’re downsizing at all, it feels like we’re upgrading our lifestyle,’” Hrsto says. “I think that perfectly sums up why The Walden is special.”