For Purpose, Not Profit – Yirranma Place by SJB

A former Christian Science Church in Darlinghurst, Sydney, has been reimagined as a social purpose precinct, centred around a co-working hub for social enterprises with a cafe and art gallery. SJB’s restrained design highlights the heritage character of the former church, respecting its history and honouring its purpose.

‘Yirranma’ means to ‘many-create’ in the local Gadigal language, a word chosen to respect the Traditional Owners of the land on which the building is located and to celebrate the history and culture of the Gadigal people. It also indicates the purpose of the precinct – to address social injustices and offer a place where people can come together to create something new.

SJB’s restrained design highlights the heritage character of the former church, respecting its history and honouring its purpose.

The connection to Aboriginal culture is more than just in the name, it is also a story that greets you as you enter and threads your journey through the building, with layers of meaning woven throughout. The entrance gates are a breath-taking expression in forged steel by Uncle Badger Bates, a Barkandji leader who has advocated for the importance of caring for Barka, the Darling River. The hefty installation flows smoothly around the solid stone columns as the rivers flow through the earth, with eels, birds and plants coming alive in Uncle Badger’s steel forms. Moving through the river, a starry night sky drifts overhead, the dark Emu Creator Spirit articulated between the stars, the two interwoven stories of earth and sky a powerful reminder of First Nations Australians’ tens of thousands of years of science and culture.

Built in 1927 and operated as a church for more than 80 years, before almost a decade as a private residence, the building was purchased by the Paul Ramsay Foundation in 2019. The foundation’s purpose is to create positive social change, breaking cycles of disadvantage. The aim for Yirranma Place, then, was to become a lightning rod for likeminded people looking to make a difference. As well as the vibrant cafe, run by social enterprise Two Good Co., the new precinct comprises a series of galleries, including for a permanent collection by Indigenous artists, showcasing the wealth of talent and giving back to the local community. The other aspect of the precinct is the co-working hub, built intentionally for philanthropy and only accepting organisations that are for purpose, not for profit. The hub is outfitted with working spaces, meeting spaces, eating and socialising spaces, as well as essentials such as showers, change rooms, day-lockers and parenting facilities.

The connection to Aboriginal culture is more than just in the name, it is also a story that greets you as you enter and threads your journey through the building, with layers of meaning woven throughout.

A majority of the work of the new design was in the restoration of the original building, including the magnificent organ that entombs the structure. The organ saw a painstaking refurbishment that included the cleaning of all 2,277 individual pipes. As a result, it will now be played for the first time in 43 years. The overall design adds modern elements while being sensitive to not overshadow the original heritage. Light tones of white and beige were chosen to accentuate the ornate textural finishes, and the two-storey addition sits quietly unadorned along the same plane as the original parapet. This is not to say that improvements could not be made, with the new internal layout injecting light and generous spatiality, as Adam Haddow, design lead and Director at SJB explains. “In what was once a dark, gloomy and restrained interior, [the] new building work is light and bright – happy even, encouraging light into the depth of the plan.”

A majority of the work of the new design was in the restoration of the original building, including the magnificent organ that entombs the structure.

SJB has beautifully transformed a fading Doric-style monument into a lively space for collaboration, innovation and making positive change. Whether you are visiting Yirranma for a coffee, to take in the art or to work in the hub space, you will be welcomed into this new purposeful community – a community deeply connected to history and moving forward to change the future.