Strength in Slightness – Darlinghurst Workers Cottage by Tom Mark Henry

Layering nods to its original inception with a more contemporary occupation, Darlinghurst Workers Cottage focuses on highlighting crafted elements throughout as a key to its continued identity. Tom Mark Henry ensures a subtle and respectful engagement with heritage using muted tones, resulting in a continuation of the original quaintness, while opening to light to connect outward.

As a testament to time and to the solidity of its original makers, Darlinghurst Workers Cottage was originally built in 1848 and stands in place today, needing only minor intervention. Within its thick masonry outer walls, the efficient use of interior space welcomes a conversation around what is needed within a home and poses questions about the benefits of occupying less. Although a product of another time, and for the purposes of housing workers within the city near their employment, there exists an interesting reconnection to smaller dwellings of today, as we see shifts to smaller occupancies in response to densification. Tom Mark Henry explores and expresses the original nuances in place, while folding in a new and refreshing take on compact living in an inner-city location.

As a testament to time and to the solidity of its original makers, Darlinghurst Workers Cottage was originally built in 1848 and stands in place today, needing only minor intervention.

Strategically, the slightness of the home is made to feel even larger through the introduced openings throughout. Built by Rosato Projects, the upper ceiling and roof surface is opened to welcome light into the centre of the home, while openings at either end frame views out and further illuminate the spaces. A white base is then overlaid throughout, both enhancing the overall sense of scale and creating a uniformity amongst the spaces, as if conceived at the same time. The new kitchen and bathroom elements add a heightening to the heritage surrounds, with introduced natural stone and patterning hinting at a movement, with metal touches that offer a refined interaction.

Connecting the levels is a sage green staircase, custom made and sitting on a piece of reclaimed timber from the nearby wharf. It is both sculptural and notional, connecting the upper level to the original lower level. The intersection between old and new, and between the rustic, organic pieces and the sleeker ones, acts to express the differences yet also shows show they can harmoniously occupy the same space. The introduced elements all allow the original home to be extended in relevance, and for the imprint of the original hands that made the home to remain in place today.

With restraint, the existing Darlinghurst Workers Cottage binds the past and present occupants and their stories into one. As an extension of the home and its delicate scale, the light-touched intervention by Tom Mark Henry ensures the original principles carry through into the new.