Sydney’s Customs House has always been a place of passage, one where people and ideas arrived, departed, and occasionally lingered. Its grand façade and sandstone bones have watched the city grow around it. But inside, a quieter transformation has taken place … one that speaks just as much to our future as our past.
When Innovatus Projects took on the refurbishment of the ground floor area, it wasn’t simply a matter of replacing finishes or updating fittings. It was a chance to reimagine how we use public space. How we reflect culture. How we make room for people, for stories, for connection.
At the heart of that transformation now hangs a breathtaking piece by Kim Healy, a Bundjalung and Gumbaynggirr artist, commissioned for NAIDOC Week 2023 by our project partner, the City of Sydney. Her painting, which explores land, spirit, and belonging, takes pride of place behind the reception desk, offering a powerful welcome into one of Sydney’s oldest civic buildings.
The juxtaposition is striking. A centuries-old structure. A contemporary expression of identity. A story thousands of years old, captured in paint. It’s not just a refurbishment. It’s a quiet act of respect.
Surrounding Healy’s work is a flexible new exhibition space enabled by the installation of the Mila-wall system, a modular, architectural solution from German firm MBA, supplied locally by Art Hanging Systems. These movable walls now serve as the elegant framework for a rotating calendar of exhibitions hosted at Customs House offering structure, sustainability, and adaptability in a heritage setting.
“We saw the Mila-wall as more than a functional element, it was an opportunity to add something modern, sustainable, and deeply considered,” said Innovatus owner Nick Halakatevakis. “In a space like Customs House, you don’t compete with the building, you find ways to complement it. These walls gave us that bridge between old and new.”
To see how the Mila-wall system supports ongoing exhibitions in the space, you can explore the current Customs House program here.
Surrounding the artwork and exhibitions is a supporting cast of local design: furniture by Tom Fereday, made with the same minimalism and thoughtfulness that the space itself now exudes. Lighting from Koskela, crafted in collaboration with Yolŋu artists from Milingimbi, casts warm, dappled patterns like light filtering through trees. Rugs from Gibbon Architectural, soft underfoot, ground the room in both texture and tone.
“We’re proud to work alongside partners who understand that design isn’t just about aesthetics, it’s about storytelling,” said Halakatevakis. “Every piece in this space has a purpose and a voice, from the artwork to the furniture. It’s a place that reflects who we are as a country and where we’re headed.”
This wasn’t just a fitout. It was a collaboration. A quiet reframing. A space where heritage holds hands with hope.