Astor Apartment is a minimalist residence located in Sydney, Australia, designed by Madeleine Blanchfield Architects. Built in the early 1920’s, The Astor is a State Heritage item constructed in the Interwar Free Classical Style. Designed by Esplin and Mould, it was one of the first prestige apartment buildings in Sydney and includes a reinforced concrete frame and steel windows. The brief was to update the layout of the apartment, maximize appreciation of the existing heritage features and incredible views. The existing apartment had a tiny, separate kitchen, old bathroom and some dubious tinkering had been done over the years. The designers stripped out the shell, opened up the kitchen, re-did the bathroom and squeezed in a discreet laundry. They created an entry foyer with a gentle curve and put sheer curtains with inbuilt lighting troughs throughout, restored elements such as skirtings which had been replaced over the years and incorporated feature lights, built in joinery and rugs.

Photography by Anson Smart