Tonkin Zulaikha Greer was formed by Peter Tonkin and Brian Zulaikha in 1987, joined by Tim Greer in 1989 and by Roger O’Sullivan in 1992. Associate Directors are Julie Mackenzie and John Chesterman. The growth in size, expertise and reputation of the practice has been steady and consistent, with the core team of directors and associate directors maintaining a long-standing commitment to excellence.
The relationship between Brian Zulaikha and Peter Tonkin was cemented when both contributed to the 1988 restructuring of the whole of Sydney’s Circular Quay, a multiple-award winning project that saw the public waterfront of the city opened for the first time to the people and furnished with unifying architecture and landscape of the highest quality. TZG’s first major building, the challenging design of a complex production library for the Royal Blind Society, won the practice its first RAIA award, and set a standard of innovation, exploration and achievement that has been continued with each new job.
The foundation for the firm’s expertise in conservation and museum work was laid with the restoration of the 1817 Hyde Park Barracks as a museum for the Historic Houses Trust. The Museum opened in October 1991 and has received State and National RAIA awards for conservation, a national award for “Museum of the Year”, and has maintained its relevance and design quality over its 17 year lifespan. The rigorous but challenging approach to the conservation and interpretation of the building’s fragile but significant fabric broke new ground in 1991, and set an Australia-wide standard for a contemporary approach to the past.