Harbour Front-Row Seat by Luigi Rosselli Architects

Location: Sydney, Australia
Year: 2014
Photo courtesy: Justin Alexander
Description:

It is quite rare, in Woollahra Council’s municipality, to have a waterfront residence so close to the water. One gets the feeling of being in Sydney Harbour when looking out of the over-sized wafer-thin framed windows.

Luigi Rosselli Architects won a limited architectural competition to develop the site by proposing to revive the existing three storey house while the competitors opted for a clean slate solution. Adaptive reuse is the best way to keep a carbon footprint small and the strategy was rewarded in this waterfront property by maintaining the foreshore building line just a few steps from the water. A new house would have to be set further back.

Though built on the edge of beach this is not a beach house. The cultured art lovers and sophisticated art collectors who commissioned this project required a very urbane and elegant residence, with an environment ideal to display their collection. Expansive Wall spaces, nooks for sculptures and specialised art lighting were necessary.

The entry courtyard was originally a cramped driveway with three garages as main features, the solution was to relocate the garages and have a Will Dangar designed courtyard with sculptural plants and textural architectural details. The result restored a sense of dignified arrival where people, not cars, are welcome.