Reimagined by SJB as Yirranma Place the precinct is now home to the headquarters of the Paul Ramsay Foundation and is a true reflection of the legacy of the Ramsay Health founder and generous benefactor to Australian charities committed to breaking cycles of disadvantage.
Built in the interwar Beaux Arts style, the 1927 First Church of Christ Scientist building in Darlinghurst is a major work by the noted Australian architect Samuel George Thorp. Formerly used as a private residence, SJB worked with Cornerstone Property on the adaptive reuse of this well-loved local heritage item into boutique offices with alterations and additions including a two-storey addition to the eastern wing, a new rooftop terrace and attic area.
Living Edge worked alongside SJB to select interior elements that would both compliment the space and address end-user wellbeing in a direct manner. Throughout the office Herman Miller Aeron Chair in Mineral were selected to provide optimum comfort and support. Mineral is the lightest colourway of the Aeron chair and illuminates the design’s finer points, ideal for open floor plans and spaces. Each component of the chair was thoughtfully designed, creating a fundamentally harmonious colour palette.
In what was once a dark and restrained interior, the new building is light and bright, encouraging light into the depth of the plan. Referencing the values of forward-thinking craftsmanship and Scandinavian materiality and light, the Muuto Cover Side Chair is an elegant perspective on the timeless wooden chair, used throughout the café and public spaces.
The sensitive consideration of local heritage has also played an important role; the name ‘Yirranma Place’ means ‘a place where many create’. The naming followed engagement with local Gadigal elders, Aboriginal groups and language experts and is aimed at creating a sense of place, history, and respect for Aboriginal people, while also contributing to the project of revitalising the Gadigal language.
