Designed by Woods Bagot with interior design by Richards Stanisich, AURA is a mixed-use precinct in North Sydney that has just been officially opened.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at AURA was attended by project delivery partners, stakeholders, staff and special guests, including North Sydney Mayor Zoë Baker, Aqualand Group Managing Director Jin Lin, and Aqualand Group Executive Chairman Warwick Smith AO.

Designed by Woods Bagot, the $1 billion project stands 28 storeys tall and offers stunning views of Sydney Harbour. The development includes 386 luxury apartments above a richly landscaped community precinct. Meanwhile, a two-storey food and beverage podium features four world-class venues operated by Etymon Projects.

The building’s architecture – described as ‘architecture as sculpture’ – features an undulating organic-shaped façade that creates the illusion of four separate towers with staggered peaks. The hourglass shape cinches at the level-nine ‘waist,’ where the resident’s community centre is located. Woods Bagot Principal, Jason Fraser, drew inspiration from Sydney Harbour’s eroded sandstone forms and the play of light on the water, integrating the building with the local landscape through natural sandstone elements.

The interior design of the most luxurious penthouses in the precinct, located on the 28th level, was crafted by Richards Stanisich. The Aqua penthouse spans 284 square metres and features an abundance of parts: a 37-square-metre master suite with a walk-in dressing area and 11-square-metre ensuite, three additional bedrooms, a second ensuite, another bathroom, a 7.5-square-metre powder room, an open-plan kitchen, a scullery, a dining area, a living room with a feature fireplace, and a 22-square-metre multifunction wintergarden. The Prima penthouse, at 224 square metres, offers similar amenities without the powder room.

“We sought inspiration for these remarkable residences from the classic top floor Parisian apartment,” says Kirsten Stanisich, Director of Richards Stanisich. “We looked at what made these French apartments so elegant and found it really came down to their scale. It was ultimately this generosity of space that we used for the AURA penthouses, where we’ve designed considered rooms with deep, large-scale proportions. The buyers will experience the true sense of luxury found in a large-scale Parisian apartment, but with a contemporary take. Without replicating the exact design, we wanted to create that same feeling of volume and elegance.”

Stanisich also describes the design details: “The residences are about beautiful contrasts and a natural materiality. They’re so engulfed with natural light that it was an opportunity to use very deep coloured materials to highlight the natural patina of the materials and provide a real depth of colour. Beautiful long vertical curved handles feature on all joinery to continue the organic shapes of the elements you touch and feel. This expressive and elevated detailing is all bespoke.

“With both penthouses designed to maximise views of Sydney Harbour, there’s a real sense of calmness. They provide an amazing connection to the city, but also a sense of retreat or sanctuary, which genuinely places these penthouse residences on a level of their own.”

Over in the extensive retail precinct within AURA, residents can access a curated shopping and dining destination, including a providore, bakery, café, wine bar, all-day diner, as well as a contemporary Japanese restaurant. Landscaped laneways welcome visitors into the precinct, integrating it with the surrounding area.

The building incorporates green technologies and materials, including solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems. Oversized apartments exceed minimum building requirements, with two-bedroom units measuring 95 square metres plus a wintergarden, totalling over 100 square metres. Resident amenities include a wellness room with a gym featuring Technogym equioment, pool and spa, as well as a rooftop area with a sky deck, private dining rooms, and spaces for alfresco entertaining.