Grantham Street is an intimate six metre wide, cul-de-sac heading west off Wylde Street. It leads to views of the city skyline and harbour.

On its southern side at the corner of Wylde Street is a petite pocket park where the tastefully extravagant sandstone mansion, Grantham, once stood.

Grantham, also known as Caleb’s Castle, was built circa 1837 by a wealthy merchant, Felix Caleb Wilson, but was eventually demolished in 1937 and subdivided. Grantham Street, Grantham apartments, no.20 St Neots Avenue and The Grantham apartments, number one Grantham Street are named after it.

On its northern side 1930s wooden garage doors with opaque security windows and original metal latches are a reminder of the area’s past. Further garages service apartments which back onto the adjoining street, St Neots Avenue

On the northern side, Denison apartments, built designed by the famous European refugee architect, Hugo Stossel, face both Wylde and Grantham Streets. Further towards the CBD skyline and harbour The Grantham, built in 2013, sits on its site overlooking Embarkation Park.

This modern, euro-luxe eight-apartment block is designed by the award-winning architect, Alex Popov. He is renowned for his carefully coiffured configurations and high-end finishes. Hand-hewn sandstone abounds with travertine floors, full height and width panoramic sliding windows and doors, black stone benches, padded fabric walls, luxurious walnut wooden inner door architraves and frosted glass doors and walls and rooms leading to expansive patios, all highlighting the purity of the design. Alex Popov studied under Jorn Utzon and married his daughter. Its refinement and the balance of aesthetics and Euro-functionality elicit calm and a sense of place.

Luxury doesn’t have to be obtrusive.

The Grantham apartments would have been appreciated as a statement in good taste by Mr Felix Caleb Wilson, who built the original Grantham.

By Andrew Woodhouse

Heritage Solutions