From the architect:
Belgravia exemplifies the architectural possibilities of intentional form and shape manipulation – its design makes luxurious and private living possible on a well-located yet initially sub-optimally shaped and flanked inner Sydney site.
From the streetscape, admirers of architecture can behold a fanning orientation, an expression which is enhanced by the large white brick blades offset by recessive black metal cladding; the curvature of form a nod to the art deco heritage of the locale.
The intersecting blades are connected by sweeping curves which add expanse to the facade, while reflecting the patterned nuances of changing natural light.
The overarching aim of this project was to create distinctive residences that stood out for their quality in a suburb replete with high-end properties of their scale. This was achieved through design innovation which interpreted site limitations as incentives for architectural imagination.
Located on a compressed, narrow site between two large, side-oriented, multi-unit apartment blocks, we were challenged from the very beginning of the project to design a context-conscious building that strategically guarded the residential comfort of residents and drew upon the manipulation of shape and form to channel internal outlooks away from the closely flanking buildings on both sides.
MHNDU were further challenged by the fact that the narrowness of the site was unforgiving in terms of providing spatial separation from the neighbouring apartment buildings; the project thus ran the risk of being encumbered both architecturally and in terms of residential amenity, by its positioning.
MHNDU experimented with form, sculpting the building and aligning its direction away from the neighbouring apartment blocks towards the street and gardens located at the rear. The resulting building acts as a solitaire; sharply articulated and arresting from all visible angles. White brick blades cut into the form at various angles, cantilevering from the second floor at various points, while basing themselves in others.
A challenge became a bounteous incentive to delve upon artful approaches, culminating in a site-specific response which offers both maximal privacy for residents and an aesthetic point of interest from the streetscape.
