A century on the top floor.
A newspaper, a wool merchant, a 1996 conversion and a slow restoration. 301 is the crown of a building that has been part of Brisbane for almost a hundred years.
- 1929
Built
The Sun Apartments building rises at the corner of Brunswick & Ann — Art Deco bones, arched windows and a brass spiral staircase. Designed in the Free Classical hand by Hall & Cook, then one of Brisbane’s most prolific commercial firms.
- 1930s
The Sun newspaper
The lower floors house Brisbane’s nightly newspaper, with the printing presses running until dawn. The smell of ink stays in the masonry for fifty years; the original ‘SUN’ relief is still above the entrance.
- 1950s
The top-floor offices
The newspaper’s editor takes the top floor for his private office and a roof garden — the first time the penthouse level is used for living rather than working.
- 1972
Heritage listed
Added to the Queensland Heritage Register. The cornices, parquet, arched windows and the brass staircase are all original and protected.
- 1996
Residential conversion
After two decades empty, the building is converted to residences. The top three storeys are joined into one penthouse — the bones of 301 as it stands today.
- 2019 – 21
The slow restoration
A two-year restoration returns the heritage detail, opens up the staircase, adds the rooftop cabana bar and a spa floor. Nothing original is touched without a heritage architect in the room.
- 2024
Penthouse 301 opens
The penthouse opens to stays, events, shoots and a small standing membership. A house with stories in its walls — and a few new ones being made every weekend.
The crown of a storied address.
Guests who love history book on the building alone. The brass staircase still has its 1929 patina. The cornices were re-cast from the original moulds. The dining room sits where the editor used to take his coffee before the night shift came in.
It is, quietly, one of the most intact Art Deco interiors in the country — and the only one we know of you can sleep in.
Book a private inspection.
We show the building by appointment — in person or by video call. Pick a morning and we'll put the coffee on.