jasper - Surry Hills

Where: 425 Bourke Street, Surry Hills

Who: PTW Architects with SJB Interiors

Types: 1 bdrm/2bdrm/3bdrm

Price range: 440-830k

Size: approx 69sqm - 100sqm

Strata: Approx. $1000 -1500/q

Available: Now

http://www.stmargarets.com.au/ 

jasper apartments (yes, with a lower case "j") is part of a series of new and refurbished apartments on the old st Margarets Hospital site in Surry Hills, just a minute walk from Oxford Street and Taylor Square. The other apartments in the complex are the alba (refurbished from the old maternity hospital), henry (new, terrace style, split level apartments) and ivy (new 17 storey tower with city views).

It's interesting to see the difference that furniture can make in a display apartment. Most of the apartments open for inspection on levels five and six in jasper were presented as empty spaces. This highlighted to us the - what looked like - utilitarian grey woven vinyl flooring, and the often compromised, awkward spaces that were still in the process of being updated and refurbished by PTW architects and SJB Interiors.

Some of the apartments at the north western end have the a quite spectacular outlook across the length of the city, right down to the harbour bridge. One door over, however, on the north-eastern side of the building, below level 5, these apartments come face-to-face with the Ken Woolley-designed 1958 chapel, and now Object gallery, and its curved concrete panels.

The use of full height sliding walls/doors, in the1 bedroom apartments, between the bedroom and the kitchen/living, is a clever design idea allowing for great flexibility of the space. The kitchen, always adjoining an open plan living space looks more like a kitchenette. The display apartments help to rectify this by placing an attractive timber bench parallel to the "kitchenette" - creating the feel of an island bench and larger kitchen space. 

 

 Some of the balcony spaces work very well, like the north-eastern corner apartments as mentioned. All the apartments facing west have metal louvre panels that can either be tilted open while the panel is closed, or the whole panel can be opened like a casement window. The view across the city and the gentle cooling breeze on the humid day that we visited was very enticing. But what happens in the winter? Or what happens if you want to block out noise but still have light coming in? Or if you want to have some ventilation but no light. In other words, once the louvres are closed for whatever, all natural light and air is blocked out. I imagine over time this would become a source of potential frustration. On top of this, all the balconies except the ones at the north or south ends, have a 1m high concrete wall. This works well for privacy, but seems to constrict the feeling of light and openness that would otherwise come with an open or transparent balustrade.









 Overall the apartments are robust, if a little lacking in inspiration, which will appeal to investors and to those seeking to buy into the location without the expense that comes with all the bells and whistles of high-end developments.

If you choose the right apartment - you could get great views and location for a reasonable price. If you want to invest, you'd get a hardy apartment that would stand up well to wear and tear and always be in demand as a rental.

Sample floorplans: