Argyle Well
An 1840s terrace is restored and extended with a contemporary addition for modern living
10am–5pm
About the building
Building information
Argyle Well is a dialogue between historical preservation and modern life. The five-storey house is at the end of Undercliffe Terrace, a heritage-listed row of terrace houses in Millers Point, traditionally known as Coodye by the Gadigal people. The original house was constructed in the 1840s and had many alterations and adaptations over the years.
Architectural firm Welsh + Major has since restored the residence and designed a contemporary addition – a concrete pavilion housing an early-19th-century well discovered in the rear yard. The Grimes Well provided fresh water to this area of Millers Point in the early days of colonial settlement.
Restored spaces are furnished with new objects and joinery to complement and enhance the original textures and materials. The new concrete pavilion is connected to the terrace via a basement link carved into the bedrock. The well is at the centre of the pavilion, creating a pivot around which the internal and external spaces flow. It’s protected by stone reclaimed from the site, and the water reflects the sky through an oculus rooflight. On top of the pavilion, the rooftop garden interprets indigenous and colonial landscapes.
1842
ArchitectArchitect unknown. Built by Captain Grimes
AlterationsWelsh + Major, 2021
AwardsAustralian Institute of Architects NSW Awards – Residential Architecture (Alterations + Additions), 2022
Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the generosity of the residents in providing access for Sydney Open, as well as the specialists, advisors, builders and craftspeople who helped create Argyle Well.
Find out more about this building here
Argyle Well
52 Argyle Place, Millers Point
Entry details
Entire house and site
10am–5pm
Members hour: MHNSW Members receive exclusive access from 9am–10am
4.30pm
Need to Know
The five-storey terrace has stair-only access internally. Access from Argyle Place is via a single step to a verandah and then a single step to the interior. This level of the terrace provides access to a rear verandah. A gravel pathway (not fully accessible compliant) provides access along the rear of the terrace row to the rear yard with access to the pavilion via a low step
No photography permitted inside the house
