In a city where creativity is too often pushed to the edges, something rare is unfolding in the heart of St Peters. Coronation Property, the developer behind multiple award-winning precincts across Sydney, is handing the keys to artist – not after construction, not as decoration, but now, while the new build is taking shape.
Coronation is transforming Precinct 75, a former industrial complex, into a mixed-use Build-to-Rent neighbourhood, but with a creative twist. Through Nation, their specialist Build-to-Rent division, the company is offering free studio space in underutilised warehouses to local artists, musicians, and makers. The initiative, called Nation MADE, is part of their cultural giveback program dedicated to Music, Art, Design, and Entertainment, and it's quietly rewriting what Sydneysiders can expect from property development
This isn't pop-up culture or borrowed authenticity. It's a deep investment in process, people and place. Over the next twelve months, these artists won't just occupy space, they'll help shape its identity and provide a whole new chapter in this growing story. Their work will be documented, exhibited, and woven into the very fabric of the future precinct.
"We're not interested in surface activation," said Charlotte Dillon, General Manager of Nation. "This is our prelude to development – a gesture of respect to the creative community, and a commitment to build places that reflect the soul of the city they're in."
The artists in residence include stencil artist Luke Cornish (E.L.K), painter James Coe, abstractionist Christophe Domergue, and sound designer Julian Sudek, alongside a broader collective of emerging and established creatives across disciplines. From painters and photographers to musicians and storytellers, each is responding to the site in real time, shaping what this place will become.
The program is already producing outcomes. Vestige, a solo exhibition by Christophe Domergue, will open in September at Precinct 75. Using a pioneering technique, he calls "peeling", Domergue lifts textures directly from the site's floors, creating sculptural "skins" that carry the scars, paint and memory of the site itself.
"The building is not just a backdrop for my work it is embedded in the work," said Domergue. "Every mark and paint splat tells a story of the people who passed through here. To be invited into a space like this, with the freedom to respond to its history, is incredibly rare. What Nation is doing is showing real trust in artists, and in turn allowing culture to shape the future of this place."
James Coe, who is currently using the space to prepare a new body of work for upcoming exhibitions, said the residency feels fundamentally different from past experiences with creative commissions.
"The city's been pushing artists out for years with rising rents and no space to actually work. At Precinct 75, we've been given the freedom to create without expectation, in spaces that would otherwise sit empty," said Coe. "But the program provides more than just a studio. Here, we're writing part of the story of this place, helping shape what St Peters becomes, not just decorating it once the development is done."
The works produced during the residency will influence the spatial and material design of the future site. From integrated artworks to site-specific installations, the creative process will leave a permanent mark on what's to come. For Nation, this is not a sideline to development but an integrated part of the process.
"Developers love to talk about culture. We'd rather make space for it," said Joseph Nahas, Managing Director of Coronation Property. "We're not just building apartments. We're building a neighbourhood. And that starts with the people who give a place its character long before the buildings arrive."
For years, Sydney's creative community has asked developers for more than lip service. What's unfolding at Precinct 75 is a generous, grounded answer: listening to artists amid the dust and scaffolding and letting culture move in first.
Precinct 75 is planned to deliver more than 470 new Build-to-Rent apartments alongside retail and community spaces, with design led by COX Architects and construction already underway.
About us:
About Coronation
Coronation Property is a privately owned, vertically integrated property group specialising in mixed-use precincts, residential, retail, commercial, Build-to-Rent and hotels. With placemaking at its core, Coronation creates neighbourhoods that combine design excellence with long-term community value. Completed projects include The Paper Mill precinct in Liverpool, Mason & Main in Merrylands, and Charlie Parker in Parramatta. Current projects include Ashbury Terraces, 8 Phillip Street in Parramatta, Erskineville, and Moore Point in Moorebank. coronation.com.au
About Nation
Nation is Coronation Property Group's Build-to-Rent division, created to redefine what it means to rent in Australia. With a sharp focus on design, service and sustainability, Nation delivers homes that feel less like stopgaps and more like sanctuaries. Its developments combine architectural ambition with fully integrated technology, curated amenities, and hospitality-grade service, all designed around how people actually live.
With nearly 1,500 new apartments launching across Sydney in the next two years, and over 4,800 in its national pipeline, Nation is not just participating in the Build-to-Rent movement, it's leading it. From Parramatta to Waterloo, Nation is building connected, community-first neighbourhoods that raise expectations and return dignity to the rental experience.
