Griffiths Teas Building

The Griffiths Teas Building project celebrates the adaptive reuse and redevelopment of a derelict 108-year-old heritage building into a revitalised residential and dining complex. This transformation includes 37 luxurious units and the award-winning restaurant Chin Chin. The project involved a complex refurbishment and significant upgrade works, retaining much of the original building’s upper floors in an iconic warehouse conversion with intricate façade restoration.

As the builder, we recognised the importance of achieving the design intent envisioned by PopovBass Architects. We sought to preserve as much of the original structure as possible while ensuring the new elements seamlessly integrated with the old. The stunning New York style corner apartments feature exposed brick and timber columns, northern sunlight gracing the open plan living/dining spaces, and innovative kitchens with marble benchtops and Smeg appliances. The apartments also boast light-filled bedrooms with custom-built wardrobes, luxuriously appointed bathrooms with quality brass tapware, soaring 3.3-meter high ceilings, wide oak floorboards, ducted air conditioning, European-style laundries, and secure lift access.

The Griffiths Teas Building is a Sydney landmark and a symbol of the vigorous industrial past of inner-city Surry Hills. Originally built in 1915 by Kent, Budden & Greenwell architects, the seven-storey warehouse lay dormant for three decades before being resuscitated by cornerstone. Our approach to this project involved a careful balance of restoration and innovation, maintaining the building’s historical character while updating it for modern use. The existing warehouse structure, with its intricate corbels, recesses, and elaborate brickwork, was complemented by new elements like canopies and roof screens that reference the historical grid of the windowpanes. The penthouse extension continues this theme, reiterating the rhythms of window, brick, and timber work, creating a harmonious blend of old and new. Each apartment and penthouse is designed to reveal the building’s heritage assets while offering contemporary luxury and modern amenities.