Project Overview

The commercial catalyst for a new Double Bay.

Significant change can often be traced back to a single moment. One such moment occurred in May 2021 with the completion of Pallas House at the prominent crossroads of Guilfoyle Avenue and Bay Street in Double Bay.

A watershed project in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, Pallas House was the first critical pillar in an ambitious strategy to revitalise the flagging commercial and retail fortunes of Double Bay village. Capitalising on the accelerating Covid-driven flight away from Australia’s CBDs, it delivered a vibrant new blueprint that applied the principles of luxury residential development to modern, suburban-based commercial settings.

The result wasn’t just a new building. It was a new paradigm that’s set to influence city fringe development for years to come. Four floors of premium-grade commercial amenity. Leafy suburban location. All anchored by street-level tenancies headlined by Neil Perry’s acclaimed new restaurant, Margaret.

Pallas House was 100% pre-committed prior to breaking ground.

Organisation

Fortis

 

Team

Charles Mellick, Executive Director
Ed Eve, Associate Director
Avalon Nethery, Associate Director
Jess Wong, Development Manager

Project Brief

Pallas House is a contemporary five-storey commercial and retail address, situated on a prominent corner in Double Bay just 4km from the Sydney CBD.

Reimagined in partnership with architects Lawton Hurley and Siren interior design, it blends an iconic harbourside location with all the conveniences of the city.

The sunlit façade and ground-level retail spaces invite tenants and visitors with open arms. While carefully-crafted interiors create a seamless and refined experience from the buzz of Bay Street. Moving through Pallas House, an elegant and cohesive aesthetic has been achieved through a consistent palette of natural colours, dark bronze metals, fluted glass, diffused lighting and limestone.

Construction of Pallas House began in April 2020 and was completed in May 2021. Today it is the headquarters for Fortis and Pallas Capital, and also home to Neil Perry’s acclaimed restaurant, Margaret.

Project Innovation/Need

For several decades, development in Double Bay had been heavily focused on residential projects, something that had eroded much of its retail, commercial and cultural lustre. Rather than delivering more residential projects to Double Bay, our long-term strategy is to reinvigorate local business through premium mixed-use commercial and retail, expertly delivered to bring lasting, positive impacts to the lives of tenants, residents, and communities. Pallas House has proudly become an iconic landmark at the heart of Double Bay’s resurgence.

Post pandemic, there has been an increase in demand from CBD-based businesses seeking to migrate their offices closer to home, without compromising on quality and amenity. As demonstrated by its 100% pre-lease prior to breaking ground, Pallas House exemplifies what can be done when you apply a high-end boutique residential approach to a suburban commercial setting, something never seen before in Double Bay.

Anchored by exciting tenancies such as Neil Perry’s Margaret and ROXY’s, F&B offerings at Pallas House attract locals and visitors from nearby suburbs daily, increasing foot traffic in Double Bay. An influx of new tenants has also increased commercial and economic activity in the area, bringing greater expenditure for local cafes and retailers on Bay Street and beyond.

“We were always confident that Pallas House would go on to become an iconic landmark at the heart of Double Bay’s resurgence.”
Charles Mellick, Director, Fortis

Design Challenge

The development application required the additional floors to be set back, however the existing roof slab had no reserve capacity to accommodate transfer column loads. There were also building height restrictions and a design objective to maximise retention of the existing structure. Accordingly, an innovative design was undertaken consisting of a post-tensioned concrete topping slab over the existing slab. A careful procedure was implemented to prepare a smooth and level surface with a slip layer prior to casting. The post-tensioned floor was engaged only at a specified location, post pre-stressing, to ensure full transfer of the PT force into the slab.

The new entry required the relocation of one of the existing Ground Floor columns. A temporary structure was developed to relieve the column of its load, carefully considering the load path and existing loads. Relocation of the column required the introduction of a new transfer structure —under the Level 1 column and onto the new column—with very limited headroom. The solution included removing a section of the Level 1 slab directly under the Level 1 column, and rebuilding it back into the transfer structure.

Geotechnical advice was sought to determine techniques for in-situ strengthening of the sandy soil under the original footings. Permeation grouting (as opposed to pressurised grout injection) was adopted due to better control and less risk of temporary loss of soil strength, which could cause damage to the existing building.

Sustainability

Designed with sustainability in mind, Pallas House presents an unrivalled case for socially conscious business leaders looking to minimise their energy footprint and cost base.

From high performance thermal glazing and air-cooled VRV air conditioning to intelligent LED lighting controls, all materials, fittings and building services have been carefully chosen to meet the highest possible energy efficiency and 5-star WELS water ratings.

Sustainability was a key focus during the construction of Pallas House itself. Rather than demolishing and rebuilding, 92% of the original concrete structure at 30-36 Bay Street has been retained, reducing C02 emissions. Over 95% of all construction waste was recycled and diverted from landfill. Only low VOC paints, adhesive and sealants were specified, together with low-chemical engineered timbers.

Other energy-saving features include:

— Commercial-grade aluminium framed sliding doors to external areas act as an acoustic measure, while reducing solar gains and heat loss
— Thermal shading from architectural fins
— Gearless elevator uses up to 30% less energy compared to conventional lift systems
— EV car-charging, timed LED lighting and operable windows
— Dedicated waste storage and recycling separation zones
— Gas hot water boilers
— Zero hazardous waste used in construction