Oxford & Foley, Darlinghurst
Oxford and Foley is set to breathe new life into Sydney’s creative precinct, balancing heritage restoration with contemporary innovation. This ambitious project focuses on reinvigorating the iconic Oxford Street strip between Hyde Park and Taylor Square. It will provide dedicated culture and creative spaces, along with workspaces for both emerging and established industries. Through thoughtful design and sensitive adaptation, the initiative aims to enhance the area’s cultural and economic vibrancy.
Oxford and Foley incorporates the existing heritage fabric while introducing modern extensions that harmonise with the streetscape. The design prioritises reducing the perceived scale from Oxford Street by sculpting the new additions to align with the parapet, creating a visual hierarchy that complements the existing context. The striking curvilinear roof forms are already taking shape, blending heritage and contemporary design while reactivating Oxford Street and Foley Lane with retail, art, and vibrant community connections.
Oxford Street cuts across Darlinghurst’s urban grid, creating unique block geometries. To the north, Foley Lane runs parallel, connecting cross streets and serving as a vital pedestrian link. The project improves connectivity by activating Foley Lane, introducing through-site links, and enhancing permeability across the site. These through-site links connect Oxford Street and Foley Lane, facilitating diverse pedestrian movement while activating a vibrant laneway. New food and beverage tenancies will energise Foley Lane, providing walkable pathways and safer pedestrian experiences.
This ambitious vision ensures that Oxford and Foley becomes a beacon of adaptive reuse, blending the past and present to shape a vibrant future for Sydney’s creative precinct. We are excited to see its progress and how this precinct will soon evolve into a hub for creativity and renewal, breathing life and energy into the heart of Darlinghurst.
