The success of stage one at Newmarket Randwick has encouraged developer Cbus Property to fast-track the next release of apartments at the popular Eastern Suburbs masterplanned community.
Set on the historic site of the former Inglis Newmarket Stables in the heart of Randwick, apartments have been popular not just for their leading-edge design to be delivered by a rare collaboration of Australia’s best architects, but also the community’s proximity to great healthcare and education facilities, the upcoming light rail, and world-class beaches.
The next release – 103 apartments made up of a mixture of one, two, and three bedrooms layouts, set in the most historic corner of the site – is now making its debut.
Known as Figtree Pocket, the first release of these predominantly large-scale apartments will be set over two buildings of five and seven storeys in a secluded north-facing position on Young Street.
The new apartments are a stone’s throw from Newmarket House and the much-loved historic Big Stable, which are among key heritage features being retained to pay tribute to the site’s racing history.
Cbus Property’s commitment to the highest quality design across the unique precinct has seen a collaboration among leading designers. Four top Australian firms, Bates Smart, Neeson Murcutt Architects, Smart Design Studio and SBJ, are each designing a stage in the masterplanned community, while landscaping by Arcadia Landscape Architecture will create critical links, open spaces, gardens and playgrounds.
Figtree Pocket, designed by multi award-winning architects Smart Design Studio, delivers grand residences set within grand gardens.
The tailored simplicity of the design sees buildings of polished and raw concrete with metallic accents anchored by an intensely leafy, green base of deep plantings, reflecting the lush landscaped surrounds.
Between the buildings is a residents-only outdoor room, including sunken seating under the sweeping canopy of a grand fig tree.
Studio founder and Creative Director William Smart, who has a string of accolades for public and residential developments, said the concept was always to make the garden the undisputed centrepiece.
“We were very definite in our thinking that the central garden needed to be the ‘hero’ of the project and we had to create buildings to celebrate it,” he commented.
Alex Longley, Principal of Arcadia Landscape Architecture, says the fig tree – such an iconic feature across the historic site, is the inspiration for Figtree Pocket.
“With century-old Moreton Bay figs sharing an iconic association with the Newmarket site,” he explained, “it was important that this tree acted as a mature sentinel to watch over the communal garden.”
Colliers International Managing Director of Residential Peter Chittenden said Figtree Pocket would become an exclusive part of the new Randwick neighbourhood.
“Smart Design Studio has created a stunning response to the very special and unique location of this precinct of apartments. Everything from the generous and thoughtful floorplans to the vision for how the greenery will embrace the buildings has been considered to the last detail,” he said.
Cbus Property CEO Adrian Pozzo said Figtree Pocket was a fitting second release for the precinct, commenting, “This is a particularly historic and secluded part of this unique development… and we are extremely excited to bring these new apartments to the market before Christmas.”
Sixty apartments will be released across a further two buildings in the first quarter of 2018 to complete Figtree Pocket.
The new stage has now been launched and Figtree apartments are now selling. The project is expected to be complete by 2021.