Melbourne might be best known for its quality coffee and brunch-loving locals, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have more than its fair share of beautifully designed buildings. One of the most recent new builds worth your attention is the Fawkner House apartment complex, built by the teams at Beulah International and Rob Mills Architecture & Interiors (RMA).
Located conveniently just a few kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD on Toorak Road West, the new complex is sandwiched between Fawkner Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens in South Yarra. Beyond lattes and brunch, Melbourne is also internationally loved for its beautiful parks, two of which effectively flank Fawkner House and cement it in Melbourne’s natural beauty.
While its location is a key element of Fawkner House’s allure, its inspiration was directly drawn from a vastly different location in Ronchamp, France. The shape of the structure was directly inspired by the Notre Dame du Haut, a 1955 chapel famously designed by Le Corbusier that remains on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
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With many elements of the design featuring the curves of Le Corbusier’s chapel, this inspiration can be seen both inside and outside the building, such as the lobby floor that boasts a semi-circle of Calacatta Viola marble. The elegantly sweeping curves soften the visual impression you are presented with, playing with the light in a way that adds texture and celebrates restraint.
“There are many reasons we are fond of curves in our work, but the most prevalent is the way energy and light naturally flow when intersections are rounded and softened,” said the interior designer from RMA, Mills.
“It leads to fewer shadows, and light is obviously something else we’re known for in our designs.”
The apartments themselves have spacious 3-metre high ceilings, as well as their own curved walls that introduce a common thread between the public and private spaces of the building. Hand-stained dark timber and marble present a contrast against the otherwise light-filled rooms, while the entrance door to each apartment was a bespoke creation by Pittella.
Despite having planning permission to build more, the architects focused on quality over quantity, designing just nine apartments, each of which benefits from the space and light being maximised. Similarly, the terraced balconies use their space thoughtfully with the inclusion of garden beds, designed by Landscape architect Paul Bangay.
So if you’ve got a keen eye for design and are currently in the market for a quality build in a premium Melbourne location, Fawkner House is worth considering. Three-bedroom apartments start from $5,555,000.
