Boutique apartment in Melbourne
DROO Projects is a Paris/London based studio specializing in high end residential design. This boutique apartment building
tucked in behind a narrow listed Shop House building, in Melbourne’s inner suburb of Hawthorn. The long narrow Shop house
building typology allowed for the existing building to be extended to create a two compact mini towers to the rear separated by a
generous courtyard internally, providing light and outdoor living spaces for the individual apartments. The building is characterized
by its large glazed windows, and the strong faceted gold fins, which provide sun-shading and privacy between flats.
Hidden behind a row of 19th-century shops in Melbourne's Hawthorn suburb, zigzagging golden frames surround the facades of the apartment building designed by DROO Projects and completed in Decenmber 2015.
DROO Projects, a Paris/London based studio specializing in high end residential design, was asked to redevelop one unit in the row of shops from the Victorian area, and to redevelop the narrow rear site. The heritage-listed building needed to be transformed into an extended new shop at ground level with a duplex apartment above.
Behind, a four-storey block constructed to the rear hosts three apartments and a ground-floor car park.
Both blocks – collectively known as the Boutique Apartment Building – have large glazed windows sun-shaded by a grid of faceted golden aluminium fins which also helps to offer a degree of privacy from neighbouring apartments.
"The fins are designed to add warmth to the dark black surfaces. The faceted design adds privacy to the glazing when seen from the street and from an angled view, whilst maintaining great views and light from within the apartment," said studio founder Amrita Mahindroo.
A common courtyard, a nice and secured outdoor space for residents seperates the two "mini towers" and helps providing natural light into both.
Polished concrete flooring to the courtyard and lobby creates a "minimalist brute surfaces" along with the glass and metal facades are contrasting with the surrounding brick work of this East-Melbourne area.
"When we stripped back the paint and render of the existing building we were able to reveal the beautiful aged red Hawthorn bricks, which we were able to integrate into the material palette," said Mahindroo.
The gridded facade continues vertically on the whole facade but the glazing steps back to create balconies that gives each apartment its own private outdoor space.
"We wanted to maintain an urban facade and maintain street alignment to the rear lane, but needed light to enter all apartments," explained Mahindroo.
