Griffiths Teas Building

Everyone loves the idea of living in a swanky New York apartment with the exposed brick walls and high ceilings. And the rejuvenated Griffith Tea Building is one of the best recent examples going around, but after having sat vacant for more than 30 years it needed a spectacular revitalising redesign. Thankfully it got one with new owner Cornerstone Property Group appointing prominent architecture practice PopovBass to lead the project.

A landmark of the city's fringes for the last one hundred years, the building has been redesigned to include 38 apartments and a striking restaurant space. With the structure's attractive wedge shape already a favourite, the focus was on transforming the interior into a smart and polished space — ideal for those seeking a lavish but laid-back home. Maintaining the early 20th-century feel, PopovBass put the original internal structure to great use with the high ceilings, exposed brick walls and finely detailed windows used to maximum effect.

The reinvigorated building needed to find an extraordinary match for its retail restaurant, and much-loved Melbourne Thai eatery Chin Chin soon answered the call. Recruiting interior designer George Livissianis, the ground and basement floors include an opulent mix of marble and steel, while the original façade and floorboards were salvaged — the old timber beams becoming the restaurant's table tops.