Garden before and after | City Penthouse

This garden before and after shows how Secret Gardens transformed a City Penthouse.  Spanning three levels, the outdoor areas were unattractive and not being used when Secret Gardens was briefed. Our client was unable to access the external top entertaining level from his apartment, with access only through the fire escape. This level also had no connection to the other external outdoor areas or the apartment.

With stringent building codes on what we could and could not do, Secret Gardens worked with the building management to ensure that the design and construction could meet the client’s brief. Everything on site had to be delivered in the apartments lift. The garden design included a floating structure and is modular, each piece 2m by 2m. We were not allowed to fix anything to the building structure. This allows them to pick the entire garden up and move it.

On the middle level a peaceful garden was created off the client’s study and bedroom complete with water ponds, fish and bridges to connect it all to the seating areas. The planting is striking and cloud pruning enhances the structural form of the plants.

A spiral staircase was constructed on site to connect the two main garden levels, the middle and top external levels and allow the client to access his top level garden without using the fire escape. The top level was designed and built to be the entertaining area with outdoor lounges and shade structure, hot tub and deck area for sunlounges. A perfect place to invite friends over for New Year’s Eve for a perfect view of Sydney fireworks.