Watertower Loft Apartment by Studio Noakes
Once a shoe factory, The Watertower was Sydney’s first warehouse conversion—we step into an apartment transformed by Studio Noakes, full of colour, artwork and handmade collections.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Pablo Veiga I Styling: Corina Koch
Timber veneer sideboard custom designed by Studio Noakes. Artwork by Madison Scott and Luca Blasonato.
Once a shoe factory built in 1903, The Watertower building was Sydney’s first warehouse-to-apartment conversion, inaugurated by Sydney’s Mayor, Clover Moore, in 1985.
Working alongside her client, Studio Noakes principal Genine Noakes and her team took on the project of updating an apartment within the historical building, embarking on a considered renovation to equally preserve and enhance the distinctive industrial features of the interior.
‘The objective was not only to unveil the apartment's rich history, but also to infuse the space with the creative disposition for our client, complemented by the vibrant atmosphere of the inner-city hub,’ shares Genine.
Celebrating the history of the building, structural elements of the building have been exposed and uncovered once again—the interior brick walls underwent acid washing, the floors, columns, and rafters were treated and sanded to unearth the authentic blackbutt timber underneath, which was then stained in a rich dark mahogany.
Thoughout the apartment, original features have been sympathetically retained, including soaring high ceilings, and robust hardwood columns and rafters. The new design serves as a textural and dynamic backdrop for showcasing the client’s dynamic art collection, featuring paintings and ceramics from emerging and more established local artists.
The interior palette for the joyfully eclectic coloured and layered apartment came from the aforementioned art collection, the many large and small scale original artworks hung throughout the spaces dictated the tones applied throughout. The kitchen cabinetry is painted in Dulux Oxford Half, which is muted yet also adds a striking focus in the open plan living and kitchen space.
Committed to minimising material waste, Studio Noakes designed custom bespoke pieces within the apartment, including a custom timber veneer sideboard and also the incredible Rosso Orobico marble dining table—the off-cuts and remainder of the marble was repurposed to create a vanity in the powder room.
Watertower respectfully honours the history of the building’s origins, letting the raw industrial elements of the building shine—a vibrant, artful and modern home.
“The objective was not only to unveil the apartment’s rich history, but also to infuse the space with the creative disposition for our client, complemented by the vibrant atmosphere of the inner city hub.”
Gaetano Pesce vase. Kitchen cabinetry painted in Dulux Oxford Half.
Gaetano Pesce vase. Kitchen cabinetry painted in Dulux Oxford Half. Tabata Wall Light from &Tradition.
Artwork by Thomas Kusturin and Oscar Sulich.
Occasional chair with matching footstool from Grazia & Co.
Layered texture in the bedroom. Ivy Bedhead from Create Estate.
Bathroom mirror by Gebrüder Thonet Vienna. Rosso Orobico Levanto marble was repurposed from the off-cuts of the custom dining table.
Spotted gum veneer joinery in the bathroom adds warmth and texture.
Spotted gum veneer joinery features in both the bathroom and bedroom spaces.
The Watertower building was once a shoe factory built in 1903 and Sydney’s first warehouse-to-apartment conversions.
The Watertower communal gardens and swimming pool.