Campbell's Stores, The Rocks, Sydney
Campbell’s Stores is the only surviving warehouse of its type remaining on the foreshore of Sydney Cove and as such, is protected by a State Heritage Listing. In 2013 private hospitality company Tallawoladah Pty Ltd, along with the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority began plans to carry out a $32M renovation, with the intention of turning the stores into a pre-eminent harbourside dining precinct; offering a mix of high quality formal dining and more informal niche bars, cafes and tenancies.
Northrop were engaged to provide electrical, hydraulic & fire, mechanical, sustainability and vertical transport engineering services for the redevelopment works. When the work on the site began in 2015, initial plans for the stores included re-letting to just eight tenancies and at the time of completion, the building was designed to house up to 33 tenancies.
These evolving tenancy requirements meant that the Northrop team had to devise creative design solutions which would allow the space to remain flexible and address both current and future client and tenancy requirements. Given the unusual nature and age of the building, each discipline was faced with a number of complex challenges to consider and address. Two core challenges common for each discipline included:
- Heritage listing (prohibiting loss of historic fabric)
- Tight space constraints
Base Building services were successfully completed, and Northrop went on to provide the fit-out designs for tenants like 6HEAD restaurant which officially opened on 21st May 2019. Northrop continues to document the future tenancy fit-outs and remains the Base Building Consultant for the landlord to assist in the co-ordination of tenancies.
The renovation, completed in conjunction with promenade upgrades (carried out separately) has significantly enhanced the appearance, functionality, accessibility and amenity of the precinct.