DESIGNING a residential tower that stands 29-storeys high within the heart of Melbourne’s art precinct was indeed a challenge. Developer, RI Investment Trust and development manager Stable Group called upon a team of designers and artists when founding their initial concepts for a high-rise site located on Kavanagh Street.

With Melbourne’s iconic Arts Spire and National Gallery as its backdrop, this development team knew the project had to be something that reflected its position and reiterated its value within the heart of a thriving and creative space. Triptych is surrounded by the Melbourne Recital Centre, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Arts Centre and backdrop to the National Gallery of Victoria, Federation Square, the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) and Malthouse.

“Our motivation has been to create a living art work through the minds that think best on that level,” Stable Group managing director, Danny Flynn said. Positioned on a sharp angular block occupying 1,853 sqm, the result is Triptych, a scalene shaped building featuring perhaps one of Australia’s only titled artwork as its iconic facade by Australian artist, Robert Owen.

‘Digital Showers’ takes shape in a subtle prism of colours cascading the building’s exterior representing rain drops that in fact are ceiling to floor louvered windows allowing occupants the unique high-rise opportunity to maximise airflow and cross ventilation throughout their apartment. Further taking inspiration from the DNA cells of a leaf and representing the core essence of life that binds people together as family, Owen’s vision for the exterior of Triptych comprises molecular looking patterns over-which the ‘raindrops’ cleverly glisten.

Nettleton Tribe director Jeremy Bishop said the three-edged site provided an interesting challenge for the design of the building. “The combination of art and architecture has been paramount in the development of Triptych considering its location. Working with Robert Owen allowed us to further develop the glass façade inline with his artistic vision which allows the building to make the most of its unique edges in a simple, elegant and sleek design,” Bishop said.

With apartments designed to take space into consideration even the smallest apartments are spacious by comparison while the largest apartments include up to 330 sqm of living space. These prestige higher floor residences are magnificent for their scale and opulence — but all take advantage of the detail found within the design.

Responsible for the interior design, award-winning design house Carr Design have developed a unique vision for Triptych. Director of Interiors Design, Daniel Stellini said Carr allowed for the creation of home-like spaces for each apartment, something that is rarely achieved in apartment developments. “Taking into account the building’s location in the arts precinct, apartments have been designed with style and simplicity to provide residents with a canvas to showcase artwork, furniture and make their apartment their own,” Stellini said.

The unique collaboration of designers including Carr Design comprises architects Nettleton Tribe, Robert Owen, public spaces designer Geyer and Jamie Durie with his team from Patio, resulting in a living space that provides unique features such as its vertical villages and living walls. Doing away with dark and the disorientating effect of enclosed corridors, at Triptych each apartment opens out onto a vertical village featuring a nine-metre high glass atrium with a live green living wall and communal space for residents to enjoy.

Each three storeys at Triptych forms a vertical village, comprising between 10 and 27 apartments, these open spaces provide open air atrium with views toward Port Phillip Bay. “Vertical villages with their three-storey open foyers bring swathes of light into the apartment’s entry points while the living walls, featuring growing vines, bring a calming experience directly into each space. The concept has arisen from the European idea of community living where one doorway leads to an enclave featuring five or six homes and becomes its own life force where neighbours can choose to interact or enjoy the open space,” Flynn said.

This design has continued throughout the building with each apartment featuring its own private entrance-way and foyer, allowing for a place to relax, store coats and umbrellas before entering your apartment. All 157 Triptych apartment entranceways feature a unique Robert Owen design gate which continues the theme of the building’s external façade.

A roof-top garden on level six provides a community space for residents with a yoga deck opening out onto a 25m swimming pool and mature garden space offering an indoor or outdoor experience dependant on weather or mood. Outdoor gardens in this design are the work of Jamie Durie and his team at Patio.

Greenery is the key with luxurious planting complementing zen-like spaces. “Our rooftop design is an art within itself. Creating spaces that are not only great on paper but will thrive upon delivery is imperative to our offering at Triptych,” Flynn said. “Jamie and his team have absorbed this and developed a plan for a gentle passive space where people will feel transported from a high-rise situation but feel more as though they are part of a private garden environment.”

The level of artistic details flows inside the building with Poliform joinery throughout the apartments. The Italian designed cabinetry offers sleek design and polished finishes that exude luxury in a simple, uncomplicated manner that ultimately offers apartments a style that will last a lifetime.

“Poliform is bespoke joinery and cabinetry made in Italy and designed to provide residents with the flexibility to maximise space,” Flynn said. The three and four bedroom apartment designs also include a galley style kitchen with an enclosed scullery where a chef’s kitchen can be tucked away from guests.

The 2.7m or 2.9m ceilings offer wall spaces suitable for large scale art works. “The architects have been mindful of our future occupants with walls and ceiling scaled to provide ample opportunity to showcase magnificent artworks,” Flynn said.