It’s no secret that everyone covets corner apartments. More light and better views, right? Well, not so with Abode318, where everyone gets a view: it’s democracy in action! Look closely at the wave-like 55 storey form and you will realise that each of the horizontal and vertical waves consist of individual rooms articulated as protrusions, creating the effect of a set of drawers pulled out at random.
These drawers gives residents the chance to give their home an individual identity as well as coveted corner views up and down Russell Street, challenging conceptions of the homogeneity and limitations of apartment living. Each apartment has a presentation to the street, creating a collection of variably expressed individuals.
The building achieves a softness that skyscrapers can’t achieve, because they need vertical facades; Abode318’s three-dimensional curve is an innovation in construction technology. In addition to articulating individual apartments, the curved form also has environmental benefits – art and science! The undulation affects wind pressure, which determines the fluctuating amplitude and breaks up downdrafts to protect pedestrians. Abode318 is clad in low-emissivity glass that appears as a pink blush from the exterior, yet is clear from the interior. The base of the building incorporates industrial design through the detailing of the decorative mesh screen that surrounds it.
Inside, follow the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur through the white and silver communal interiors. Silver and white travertine walls adorned with wall reliefs become Ariadne’s thread, leading up to the apartments designed by Disegno.
