Make Architects has been engaged to design the interiors at the prestigious Opera Residences apartments in Sydney for Macrolink and Landream.
Overlooking Sydney Harbour with its world famous Harbour Bridge and Opera House, and located on the site of the 1960s Coca-Cola Amatil office building, the 20-storey apartment building has been designed by Tzannes Architects in collaboration with executive architects Crone Partners. The 104 apartments are now being sold off the plan and have achieved record values.
Make’s design scope encompasses the private amenities at Opera Residences including reception, library, lounge, wine rooms, pool and gym as well as the apartments and marketing suite, with the brief seeking a level of materiality and attention to detail akin to the most luxurious hotel.
Make Partner and interior architect Tracey Wiles is leading the design team. The Australian-born Wiles worked with Bligh Voller Nield in Brisbane and Sydney, and Foster and Partners in the UK prior to joining Make in London in 2007. She is relocating to be part of Make’s new Sydney studio from January 2017.
Wiles explains that their approach to interior design is to integrate the interior solution into the overall architectural concept, allowing one to enhance the other. She added that the project will offer exceptional new homes with outstanding attention to detail to make them worthy of the incredible views they command.
Some of the standout design features of the luxury apartments include double-height reception space sculpted with travertine walls; and external bronze cladding travelling from outside to in, seamlessly folding into a fireplace in the living area and wrapping the library to create two intimate amenity areas for the residents.
Make has used full-height glazing in the apartments to maximise the light and sense of space and proportion, with the sightlines channelled through to the stunning harbour views at every opportunity. The grandeur of these apartments has been emphasised using the finest materials such as sculpted Corian, parquetry, rich travertine, marble and inlaid Flemish copper to create sensual layers of visual tactility and luxury. The soft curves used throughout the architecture to reference the sails of the Opera House and the arch of the Harbour Bridge have been mirrored in the interior detailing.
Key design features also include Chevron timber flooring or Italian travertine as the base palette for the apartments; grand entertainer kitchens with a materials palette of an exceptionally high standard; island benches crafted out of Corian or marble, offset by bespoke Flemish copper inlay details; master bedrooms incorporating en-suite bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes to emulate a high-end hotel; and bespoke Calacatta marble credenzas, incorporating soft crafted curves that provide generous storage as well as beautiful oversized mirrors, both with Flemish copper inlays to add to the subtle glamour of the bathrooms.
Opera Residences is the latest in a string of high profile interiors projects being executed by Make Architects and the first from its new Sydney studio. Make’s Sydney projects also include the Wynyard Place redevelopment as well as the refurbishment of the iconic sandstone Department of Lands and Department of Education buildings on Bridge Street, which are to be converted into a luxury hotel by Pontiac Land Group.
Image: Display suite by John Madden
