DFS Galleria

DFS Group Limited, a part of the luxury brand conglomerate LVMH, is the world’s leading retailer to the international traveler. In 1996, DFS occupied three floors of a nine-story office building located behind a group of three-story historic buildings known as The Terrace. These buildings were built between 1908 and 1914 along George Street in Sydney’s well-known historic district called “The Rocks”.

Charles Sparks + Company, in association with local architects Peddle Thorp Walker, was engaged to master plan, design, and administer the construction process for the complete refurbishment and expansion of the DFS Galleria from three to four floors and the integration with the historic buildings along George Street at the front. The refurbishment involved the addition of escalators, the conversion of a former office floor into retail use, and the design integration of the historic buildings, which were also slated for retail refurbishment. Among the challenges were the activation of all space in a non-retail-use facility and the creation of effective circulation around a central elevator and utilities core within the office building.

The concept included the development of “worlds” of related merchandise organized by floor, beginning on the street floor with a gallery of luxury boutiques of such high-line brands as Ferragamo, Tiffany, Fendi, Cartier, and Bulgari. The second floor was planned as a fashion accessories “world” of leather, costume jewelry, scarves, belts, ties, and sunglasses. The third floor was conceived as three duty- and tax-free “destination” categories: 1) liquor and tobacco, including some of the finest cognacs and Australian wines; 2) fine jewelry and watches; and 3) a “beauty world” of cosmetics and fragrances. The fourth floor was developed as strictly Australian-themed and original products, ranging from surfwear to local and regional foods.