Kensington Street & Spice Alley

Project overview

An important place conceived from the Central Park public domain framework is Kensington Street. Bordering the eastern edge of Central Park, it brings to the table Sydney’s newest laneway; transforming a once abandoned corner of the city into an ‘eat street’ destination of premier restaurants, cafes and wine bars. Heritage warehouses and terraces are awash with new creative spaces, contemporary art galleries and innovative retailers; bringing an eclectic buzz to this urban laneway of Broadway.

Kensington Street is a pedestrian shared zone that provides a distinctly characterful vibe to downtown Sydney. Old world charm exudes through its brick and granite features, tying in with the heritage of its surrounding architecture. Instead of regular raised kerbs, original trachyte kerbstones were reinstated flush with the brick paving as a historical line and making the street feel like one unified space. A formal avenue of tree plantings is a buffer between vehicular movements and café break out spaces. Customised timber benches are placed rhythmically along Kensington Street to encourage pedestrian amenity and activate the street life.

The heritage listed Old Clare Hotel has undergone a major overhaul and through careful adaptive reuse, has joined with the former Carlton United Administration Building to transform into a five–star, 62–room boutique hotel by Unlisted Collection.