Sydney's first skyscraper gets a second life

33 Alfred Street opened its doors in 1962 as Sydney’s first skyscraper and has recently been revitalised to its former glory as a prestigious workplace asset, attracting some of Sydney’s most premium tenants.  

Last week, we sponsored a Property Council of Australia panel within the Maddocks workplace, one of the fitouts we have delivered at 33 Alfred Street. The event explored adaptive reuse in practice at 33 Alfred Street, bringing together the collective expertise of those who helped bring both the building and the Maddocks workplace to life within this heritage environment. 

A prestigious Sydney icon, strategically reimagined 

Dexus General Manager – Development, Office, Nick Wilkinson, opened the evening with the story of a tower that once symbolised the modernisation of Sydney itself. Rather than a partial upgrade, Dexus committed to a full repositioning, backed by a supportive ownership group. That commitment set the tone for everyone who followed.  

Bringing Maddocks to life 

For Bates Smart Director Brenton Smith, the brief for Maddocks was to give the firm its own identity within a heritage shell, its sweeping "bow tie" floor plate, and the bold colour and furniture language of the 1960s, while shaping a workplace that felt distinctly Maddocks'.  

DBS Consulting Director Nathan Syme spoke to the technical reality behind that vision, drawing on his base-building experience to bring that expertise directly into the fitout, working in parallel with design rather than waiting for a clean handover, and threading new building services, technology and security systems through a heritage building. 

As MPA's Group Executive – Account Management, Paul Andreatta, reflected, delivering that level of complexity came down to the relationships in the room. "In a repositioned asset like this one, the plan only gets you so far; it's the relationships with building management, the base builder, the project team and the client that get you through the parts you can't fully plan for. That's what made the difference on Maddocks." 

What this means for the future of commercial assets  

The conversation closed with a clear takeaway: repositioning and adaptive reuse will define the next wave of commercial development in Sydney. It takes a different discipline and a team willing to problem-solve and collaborate throughout, but the payoff, in tenant demand and asset longevity, speaks for itself. 

We're proud to have played our part as one of the many custodians of 33 Alfred Street's continuation. With the PCA bringing this expertise together, they are shining a light on what it takes to revitalise an asset like this, so that tenants like Maddocks can enjoy the very best of what Sydney has to offer.