Architecture Interior Design Planning Urban Design
SJB Melbourne +61 3 9699 6688 Sydney +61 2 9380 9911 sjb.com.au
6 Latest 8 Erko Apartments 12 Harbour Rocks Hotel 16 South Kempsey Master Plan 20 Richmond 3121 24 St Kilda Road Penthouse Apartment 28 Collins Place 30 Pacific Apartments 32 55 Southbank Boulevard 34 Place Quality Assessment Tool
This is SJB
Our passion is the built environment. We are proud to have worked on some of Australia’s most recognisable and innovative projects. Over the years, we have built a reputation for bringing enthusiasm, creativity and personal commitment to every commission whether it’s the interior design of someone’s dream home, or the planning and revitalisation of an entire site. Our four entities, SJB Architects, SJB Interiors, SJB Planning and SJB Urban, work as interlocking teams, giving us a cohesive and versatile approach that generates innovative and holistic thinking. In short, SJB is more than the sum of its parts. We see ourselves as a collection of experts; a multi-disciplinary practice that embraces architecture, interior design, town planning and urban design. Our collective goal is to contribute meaningfully and responsibly to the environments in which we all live. We collaborate with a diverse range of clients, from individuals and research groups to multi-nationals and government agencies, on ventures that aim to achieve this goal, both here in Australia and internationally.
Above all, our practice is about people. Our own knowledge and expertise is constantly expanding, advancing and adapting by working with our clients and communities. We value the relationships we build with those who are passionate about meeting the challenges of our times. This brochure gives you an insight into our people, some of our built works, and some that we’re currently working on. We hope it will give you an insight into how we think, how we work, and how we strive to fulfil our mission of creating spaces people love.
Making better places to live
It is becoming apparent as we move further into the 21st century, and as Australia’s population approaches the 23 million mark, that there is a growing demand for projects that respond sensitively to the natural and urban fabrics of our built environment. Our cities and regions seek design that meets a contemporary demand for meaningful places, and spaces that foster individual wellbeing, strong communities and sustainable environments. Areas dominated by post-war development such as South Kempsey, an attractive but disadvantaged town, call for more than aesthetic building upgrades; they require a shift in design thinking. Envisioning thriving communities, built around local amenities like shops, parks and transport links, results in independent communities, not constrained by roads and car parks. This can be created through higher density housing. The urban village created at Sydney’s Erko (p9) is an example of successfully blended 21st century apartment living and 19th century terraces. As our cities respond to a shifting demographic and changing lifestyle expectations, traditional innercity landscapes, such as Melbourne’s Richmond (p20) require a considered and coherent architectural and planning approach to redefine the sense of place. New developments in established areas need to respond to unique local character through drawing on the colours and textures of the landscape, as much as the ingrained culture of the place. Historic buildings like Sydney’s Harbour Rocks Hotel (p12) require careful crafting to create a bold, new image while respecting the history of the building. Although sometimes controversial in their day, Australia’s collection of modern architecture is now recognised as historically important, and culturally significant. As we found with Melbourne’s Collins Place (p28) the design response is about reinforcing the unique elements of the original architecture, while creating new opportunities for use and spatial flexibility. The best of Australian living is not just about the larger projects. It is also about creating world class design to meet the ambitious requirements of our clients. The unique private residence and art gallery on St Kilda Road in Melbourne is a balanced blend of luxury penthouse living and a private gallery. Our 150-strong team of experts across Melbourne and Sydney continue to be passionate about the profession, considering the possibilities of architecture, interiors, urban design and planning. We hope you enjoy this snap shot of our work.
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Increasing density and improving lifestyle: Chester Hill and Villawood
The right people in the right places: some of our recent appointments
Award recognition: creating better places for living In 2013, the Australian Institute of Architects Awards (Victorian Chapter), we were commended for two projects in the Residential Multiple category. Leopold, a conversion of an eight-storey office building into a residential building, stands on Melbourne’s St Kilda Road. The conversion included the addition of six lightweight floors to provide a total of 176 apartments, and retained the existing two-level basement car park and offices at street level. A joint venture with FKA, the finished building is a product of the combined expertise of SJB Architects, Interiors and Planning. Following on from the success of SJB Planning and Architects with the Malvern Grove development, which received a Planning Excellence (Urban Design) Commendation in 2009, Malvern Hill was also commended in the 2013 AIA awards. Malvern is an established inner suburb of Melbourne, and the jury noted the considered approach of Malvern Hill, which allowed 111 apartments to be introduced without any sense of overwhelming the surrounding streets. A third 2013 commendation came from the National Planning Institute of Australia for the South Kempsey Master Plan (see full story on page 16). The ‘One Community One Mob’ Master Plan, by SJB Urban and GHD, also won the NSW Public Engagement and Community Planning award in 2012.
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Adam Haddow, Director of SJB Architects Sydney, has been selected as a member of the creative curatorial team behind the 2014 National Architecture Conference. This prestigious appointment is made through a competitive selection process, and Adam’s co-curators are architectural critic and academic Helen Norrie and architect Sam Crawford. The team has selected the theme ‘Making’, and will focus on speakers from regions that have traditionally been underrepresented, such as South America, Africa and Asia. “We want to look at architectural practice in different cultural, economic and social situations,” Adam says. “It’s a very different context from Europe and North America, and we want to see the innovative ways architects are finding to deliver excellence in challenging environments. We also want to open discussion about creating the conditions that enable architecture excellence around the world.” The Conference will take place in May 2014, in Perth. Kirsten Stanisich, SJB Interiors Director, has been appointed Chair of SJB Australia after almost 15 years with the company. She began with SJB Architects, but soon realised her interest lay in interior design, and joined SJB Interiors. Kirsten was instrumental in establishing SJB Interiors in Sydney, and was appointed its director in 2005. She has also been appointed as a councillor for the UNSW Built Environment Advisory Council, and is NSW president and national vice-president for the Design Institute of Australia. Waverley Council selected Jonathan Knapp, Director of SJB Urban in Sydney, to be one of three people to assess the new Bondi Master Plan. The two-day workshop reviewed the council’s preliminary analysis and consultation, and helped council staff prepare a comprehensive plan for the iconic site. Included is a plan to replace the beachside carpark with multi-storey parking beneath a grassed area, provide more trees and shade, a boardwalk and better links with the coastal walk. The new carpark in particular required careful consultation and planning, but the relocation will make the beachfront safer for pedestrians and allow the rear of the historic pavilion to be opened up.
Housing affordability, new housing stock and increased liveability are pressing topics in Australia, and in Sydney’s west two suburbs are set to tick all three boxes. SJB Urban led a team of consultants, including Aspect Studios (landscape architecture), Urban Concepts (community consultation), Davis Langdon (quantity surveying) and SBE (sustainability), and team members from SJB Planning and Architects, to generate a Master Plan for the area. Characterised by ageing post-war low density homes run by state and private landlords, the challenge was to help locals understand that new, high-density housing would provide a better lifestyle. “As part of the consultation, we bussed them around to other high-quality, state-run apartments,” says Jonathan Knapp, Director of SJB Urban Sydney. “We could show them how well-built and designed new apartments are, the great views, and the way that this kind of building enables more people to live near amenities like shops and transport – which in turn means these amenities are better used.” The final plan will be funded under the Federal Government’s Housing Affordability Fund, and will see an increase in affordable, high-quality property in the area and a rebalance of private and state-managed housing.
Researching the real cost of housing: ARC linkage grant with RMIT RMIT’s Global Cities Research Unit and SJB have jointly been awarded a competitive ARC Linkage grant of $435 000 over three years for a research project that aims to reveal the real cost of housing. Adam Haddow, Director of SJB Architects Sydney and Simon McPherson, Director of SJB Urban Melbourne, are the industry partners on this project, which they proposed to RMIT. They will develop a software tool that will enable homeowners to rec ord the implications of their housing choices over the long term. This will give a comprehensive set of data on whether the ‘best value’ housing really is that – or whether the longterm costs of buying a lower-priced home are far outweighed by hidden costs such as additional travel, lifestyle adjustments, heating and cooling bills and a raft of other considerations. “Just as fuel consumption stickers on cars are about influencing consumers to make more sustainable choices, this is about giving information to homebuyers and renters about the implications of their housing choices,” says Simon. “It’s a way of reshaping the city and housing stock in a grassroots way, by helping buyers drive positive change in affordable property that is not only more cost effective to live in, but also provides better quality of living.”
Modern Australian on the Yarra: Arintji restaurant On the corner of Federation Square and facing the Yarra and Botanical Gardens, Arintji is one of the area’s best restaurants. Previously owned by renowned chef Jacques Reymond, it already had a sophisticated interior, but a new owner called for a refresh. Inspired by the word ‘Arintji’, an Aboriginal word for ‘orange’, and by the arts precinct itself, SJB Interiors used striking copper elements throughout. The copper ceiling panels not only reflect an orange light, they are also sculpturally shaped to resemble orange peel. Copper mesh panels fold out from the walls and ceiling, creating rhythm to the timber shell and giving a stylish twist to the dining room. The original ironbark wall and floorboards were kept and more timber installed, creating an intensely rich and warm atmosphere. A sheer charcoal curtain softens the space, and can be used to divide the room. Outside, the restaurant’s seating area has a combination of high and low tables, all protected by large black umbrellas with an elaborate cooling and heating system. Copper planter boxes around the terrace enclose the outdoor tables and giving an impressive architectural public face to one of the top restaurants in the Square.
Sponsoring tomorrow’s architects: Nexus Student Congress The Australia and New Zealand Student Architecture Congress is the largest gathering of architecture students in the region, giving the next generation of architects the opportunity engage with the international architecture community. SJB Australia was one of the principal practice sponsors for the 2013 event, and also sponsored five architecture students working in its Sydney and Melbourne offices to attend. “The conference encourages creative thinking and collaboration for students, as well as giving them valuable access to global knowledge” said Adam Haddow, Director of SJB Architecture Sydney. “We also like that it took place in Newcastle this year, which reflects our support and commitment to regional centres.”
Quality redevelopment: Richmond Plaza Bridge Road, Richmond, is one of Melbourne’s renowned strip shopping centres, characterised by a mix of heritage-listed 19th century shopfronts and contemporary buildings. SJB Planning, Architects and Urban combined to deliver planning approval from Yarra Council for a Coles Group Development that will see the site converted into a mixed-use complex of residential and retail, creating a vibrant community hub that will provide a place to eat, meet and live. The development will have 11 storeys of apartments with 12 000sqm of retail space over three storeys, all with basement parking. Affordable housing will be included in an adjacent building. In keeping with the inner city laneway and café culture of Melbourne, the complex is accessed by laneways that take pedestrians into and through the open central hub, around which food retail is focused. Entry to the residences is via four individual lobbies, and the design incorporates a number of rooftop and terrace gardens, play areas and outdoor spaces to enhance the sense of an ‘urban village’. The long-awaited redevelopment will improve shopping, create a food and community centre, and provide quality residential living in the heart of Richmond’s urban centre.
Continuing a fine tradition: the Metropolitan Golf Club SJB has built a strong reputation for designing stunning club houses in Victoria – the Heritage, Sorrento, Cranbourne, RACV Healesville Country Club – and now the Metropolitan Golf Club. Renowned as one of the finest championship courses in Australia, the Metropolitan needed a more apposite clubhouse and function centre. “There was a jumble of period buildings and addons from the early 20th century, all built adjacent to a beautiful flowering gum,” says Tony Battersby, Director of Architecture Melbourne. “The Gum has become the logo and identity of the club, so our first design principle was to retain and respect that gum.” The result is a pair of pavilions that have been re-sited and reorientated to give space to the flowering gum, and provide magnificent views of the course from a broad glass frontage. The zinc roof gives the building a presence in the scale of the course, and skylights allow northern light to illuminate the interior. In the spacious members’ areas, bespoke plaid carpet picks up the green of the fairway beyond the windows, and a sophisticated palette blends the comfort of a private residence and exclusive club. The client is delighted; it’s a world-class clubhouse on par with a world-class golf course.
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Erko apartments Contemporary village living
The suburb of Erskineville in Sydney’s inner west (colloquially known as ‘Erko’) is full of traditional two-storey terraced housing and feels like an inner city village with its leafy, close-knit streets and criss-crossing pedestrian routes to shops and parks. But the area needs new housing stock. Erko is a sensitive response to that need, and will provide 263 new apartments in three buildings, plus 39 units and 18 terraced houses. We won the design competition run by developers Leighton Properties, and designed the project in collaboration with Tribe Architects and Architect Pineas, with landscaping by HBO+EMTB landscape architects. The site, bounded by the railway line to the north and with frontages on Bridge Street, Macdonald Street and Pearl Street, has been subject to a master planning process that resulted in the careful arrangement of the new spaces, buildings and internal streets and created a new street connecting Erskineville village and the railway station. Local planning and design controls insist that new builds are in keeping with the local area, so our development reflected the look and feel of the existing streets. The surrounding properties are generally two-storey terraces, and we continued this aesthetic by putting modern terraces – complete with front gardens – at street level. The five and six storey apartment levels are behind and above these, with the upper levels stepped back from the building edge so that they don’t dominate from the pedestrian’s eye view and don’t block the light to neighbouring homes and streets.
The apartment buildings are arranged in a ‘u’ shape, with the open end on the north side, so few apartments back on to the railway line and as many as possible are north-facing. The inside of the ‘u’ contains resident-only green spaces and courtyards, and there are private landscaped areas around the building. These are blended into the local streetscape with landscaped buffers between the buildings and the public spaces and pedestrian routes around the building. Underneath the complex is a basement car park – so important in these older Sydney suburbs – and access to the flats is via six secure lobbies which, thanks to the two-storey terraced street frontage, are double-height. The apartments themselves are slightly larger than typical apartments of this type, with plenty of natural light and ventilation, generous living spaces and storage. Interior living spaces extend into external balconies or gardens, providing the traditional Australian indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Our trademark spatial flexibility allows maximum use of space and gives owners the ability to configure the apartments to their liking. Erko gives the best of modern apartment living and retains the character of the existing terraced streets. A genuinely positive addition to Sydney’s built environment.
Bridge 2 Bed Apartment
Bridge 1 Bed + Media Apartment A3.05, A4.05, A5.05, A6.05, A7.05, A8.05
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DISCLAIMER : This plan was produced prior to construction and has been prepared for marketing purposes only. The information is DISCLAIMER : This plan was produced prior to construction and has been prepared for marketing purposes only. The information is believed to be correct but is not guaranteed. Changes may be made during construction and dimensions, areas, fittings and believed to be correct but is not guaranteed. Changes may be made during construction and dimensions, areas, fittings and
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Harbour Rocks Hotel Revisiting 125 years of history
Sydney’s Rocks precinct is home to some of the city’s most important and distinctive historic buildings. Over the centuries, the buildings have changed use and been modernised in keeping with the aesthetic of a variety of eras – and not always with respect for their original architecture. The Harbour Rocks Hotel is a prime example. Occupying a three-storey brick building that was built in 1887 as a bond store, and six sandstone terraces that were workmen’s cottages of the same era, its buildings went through various incarnations before being converted to a hotel in 1989. At that point, much of the original interior was covered up in line with the design aesthetic of the 1980s. Central to our 21st century revamp of the hotel was the uncovering of the building’s original features, so that guests could immediately appreciate the history around them. We highlighted the original fabric of the building by creating a clean, understated and modern interior that referenced the colours and textures of 19th century materials, but that contrasted with the older structures.
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The interior brickwork was exposed, leaving a rough-textured, unfinished look that highlighted the beauty and history of the old building. We also uncovered the original sandstone, and left it rough to complement the new interior design palette of black, steel, Travertine stone, bronze and dark timber. The lighting we designed to look like candlelight, and based the designs for the corridor lights on lanterns, which gives both a warm glow and a nod to the Colonial era. In the lobby, we hung a dramatic custommade wax chandelier in the central void. We recoloured the exterior using a sophisticated, contemporary palette of greys and blacks, with highlights of rust red on the doors of the terraces – a complete departure from the historic beige, maroon and green so often used on buildings in The Rocks, but nonetheless in keeping with the local aesthetic. ‘Eric’s’, a new wine bar on the ground floor, opens onto the street, giving the local community and passing tourists the chance to drop in and enjoy the landmark building. This project is now recognised as one of the most progressive redevelopments in The Rocks, and shows that with care, attention to detail and respect for history, it is possible to navigate the rigours of design for heritage-protected buildings and produce a contemporary and breathtaking result.
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South Kempsey ‘One Community, One Mob’
The town of South Kempsey sits on the Pacific Highway an hour north of Port Macquarie in New South Wales. It’s on the traditional lands of the Dunghutti people, and when Europeans arrived the locals were forced into missions in the surrounding area. In the 1950s they were moved again, into South or West Kempsey – a move which caused divisions in the community. West Kempsey is on the north side of the Macleay River and close to the Kempsey CBD, rail station and other amenities, while South Kempsey is on the south bank, wedged between the highway and the river. Despite being in sight of the Kempsey CBD, South Kempsey is physically and socially isolated – the only way to cross the river is to dice with death on the hard shoulder of the highway, or on a narrow and unsafe footbridge. There is little public transport, no cycle paths, few footpaths and native scrubland covering the logical non-car routes around town. The locals are stigmatised not just by the ‘us and them’ mentality either side of the river, but by antisocial behaviour and unemployment in the areas of public housing and private rentals run by local ‘slum lords’. In 2011 SJB Urban and the Social Planning team of GHD, one of the world’s leading engineering, architecture and environmental consulting companies, were appointed to create a coordinated Master Plan and Social Plan for South Kempsey, commissioned by local and state government and the Local Aboriginal Land Council. We found that, despite its obvious challenges, South Kempsey has good bones. Physically there is a logical street pattern, separate zones for commercial and residential areas, and local planning policies in place for further development. In 2013 a bypass will take the Pacific Highway away from the town, reducing heavy traffic on the river crossing. There is an excellent range of services provided by government and NGOs, delivered by local community members and volunteers, such as the Kempsey Neighbourhood Community Centre (KNCC), with its community garden, veggie patch, native nursery and BBQ– which proved vital to our consultation with the local Indigenous community.
Over a nine month period we spent time running workshops, BBQs and presentations, or just standing on a street corner to chat to locals about what they really felt would make their place work. The locals not only helped us see the depth of the challenges, they also sparked a huge range of potential solutions and projects. We identified 34 individual projects – far more than we could’ve conjured in the isolation of our offices – which translated into a compendium specific projects that could be delivered in the short term (now to 1 year), medium term (1 to 5 years) and long term (5+ years). Almost half were things like child abuse prevention programs, early childhood education or long daycare – all of which had no physical requirements but space, which was already available. Others were structural projects, like streetscape improvements, a new public space, a second river crossing and a Keeping Place. When we unveiled the Master Plan, entitled ‘One Community, One Mob’, the community had just two questions – who will pay, and who will deliver? Used to seeing grand plans fade to nothing, they wanted to see immediate action, not words. During development we implemented small projects that showed we were serious. One was the relocation of the local AFL team from Gladstone, 20 minutes from Kempsey, to the South Kempsey Oval. This meant that local talent, particularly among the Indigenous youth, could be tapped by the Macleay Valley Eagles, and the whole community would see the social benefit associated with sport. With the community on board and enthusiastic, the client is excited to take all the projects to the next stage and, with private investment difficult to obtain for communities like South Kempsey, is seeking funding from Regional Development Australia. They have just secured $500,000 to upgrade a public park. Finally, things are looking up for South Kempsey.
above top Banks of the Macleay River at the northern edge of South Kempsey
above and right Children from South Kempsey providing their input (and playing) at the community consultation event
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above Illustrative Master Plan for South Kempsey represents the potential changes arising from the 34 projects identified during the 9-month community consultation program, which include new housing, community hub, Keeping Place, sports pavilion, public open spaces, streetscape upgrades and a second river crossing to the Kempsey CBD.
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Richmond 3121
Historically, Australian cities have not been coveted places to live. However, we are now experiencing a period of rapid cultural change in which increasing demand to live closer to urban centres is driving an increase in density. Yet demand is still greater than availability. As a result our inner-city suburbs, largely defined by a productive industrial history, are playing catch-up in the process of re-urbanisation. Richmond, 3km east of Melbourne’s CBD is one such suburb. Once a vital industrial hub and thriving working community, it is now firmly established as a burgeoning cultural, historic and residential precinct. SJB has been a part of Richmond’s story for many years. With a number of significant projects recently completed, others under construction and future concepts on the drawing board, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on the changing landscape of the suburb, and the role that architecture can play in shaping the growth of a place.
Broadly speaking, Richmond has two kinds of redevelopment projects. The first is the urban in-fill project; the redevelopment or renovation of small sites. Often located in a muddle of laneways amid the myriad workers’ cottages and factories, these projects need to manage sensitive interfaces with historic buildings. Providing contemporary living scenarios and fine-grain retail and commercial spaces within tight constraints, these types of developments become highly concerned with the way the architecture touches the site.
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Our design for the warehouse conversion at Kipling Street develops the dialogue between new and old, expressing the junctions through complementary, yet contrasting materials. The recently completed Cirque Apartments find rhythm and harmony in the proportions, materials and textural qualities of space.
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Multi-residential Completion:1998 Dwellings: 39 Multi-residential Completion: 2012 Dwellings: 355
T Richmond Plaza Mixed use, retail, multi-residential Completion: 2016 Dwellings: 333
U Cirque Multi-residential Completion: 2013 Dwellings: 88
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O Zuster Showroom Retail Completion: 2012 P Kipling Street Multi-residential Completion: 2006 Dwellings: 10
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The second project type is the large precinct site, creating revitalised activity hubs within the suburb and presenting the opportunity to provide landmark buildings that create new connections between disparate spaces. These sites provide opportunities for larger, mixed-use developments. Though complex in their scale compared with the existing character of the area, these developments seek to stitch back into the existing urban fabric. ‘Richmond A Place to Live’ (RAPTL) collectively refers to three new apartment buildings and boutique townhouses opposite the Victoria Gardens retail precinct. This project, bounded by Burnley Street to the west and Davison Lane to the east, responds to the need for increased density and activation of the western edge of Richmond. Our built forms are carefully and sensitively composed to provide a variety of residential typologies that respond to the varied contextual conditions.
On the corner of Victoria and Burnley Street, 520 Victoria is a landmark residential building that redefines the site with a dynamic curvilinear form. Across the street, Green Square creates a link with the Yarra. The design concept for the mixed-use Yarra Gardens Precinct will direct people through its ground level retail and commercial spaces to the river, reconnecting Richmond with this under-used natural asset. The proposed design for Richmond Plaza (see also p7) will offer a new model of density within the inner-most part of the suburb. The project will invigorate and enliven the street space, creating new avenues for social and commercial possibilities through the introduction of laneways and finegrained retail.
Increasing density in areas like Richmond is no longer a question. What needs to be considered now is the way in which new developments alter and enhance the existing landscape. Our work in Richmond is characterised by responsive architecture that enables better connectivity between precincts, and enables diversity to grow alongside density. Through our ongoing commitment to Richmond, we hope to shape a positive future not just for the suburb, but for the re-urbanisation of Melbourne.
These larger precinct sites present exciting opportunities for reshaping the existing urban fabric of Richmond. Projects such as RAPTL, Green Square, Yarra Gardens and Richmond Plaza are remodelling the density of the suburb, providing new modes of living and new ways of growing as a community. Unlike the sprawling suburbs of the past, these projects consolidate urban neighbourhoods and communities through holistic, mixed-use design.
l eft Green Square (1) Multi-residential Completion: 2014 Dwellings: 496 below far left 520 Victoria St (2) Multi-residential Completion: 2015 Dwellings: 63 below Yarra Yarra (3) Mixed-use Completion:1998 Dwellings: 39 right Richmond Plaza (5) Mixed-use, retail, multi-residential Completion: 2016 Dwellings: 333
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St Kilda Road An artful apartment
The brief for this private penthouse apartment at one of Melbourne’s most exclusive addresses was to create a design that worked in two normally disparate ways – as a private home and an art gallery. The owner’s extensive art collection was, of course, integral to our design of the spaces. The overall concept was all about geometry and space, and we defined different living areas within the space using almost sculptural forms. A raised, ebonised timber platform was introduced into the centre of the apartment, creating a natural flow and a sense of drama on descent into the living areas. Polished concrete columns with a special waxed finish provide a fine backdrop to specially commissioned pieces by the late Australian sculptor, Bronwyn Oliver. The living room is focused on a ‘framed’ fireplace, and a monolithic black Marquina stone bar also provides a strong presence and makes for a memorable venue when the owner entertains.
As a penthouse, the apartment has stunning views of Melbourne’s landmarks, so we used strategically placed large mirrored panels to both bring these views into the home and enhance the sense of space. In the luxury en-suite, the centrepiece of an over-scaled bath provides a vantage point from which to gaze across Port Phillip bay. To finish the interior, we chose a sophisticated range of furniture, emphasising simplicity and classic modern design to complement the owner’s antique pieces. Furniture is grouped to visually define the boundaries of separate living zones, and the entire apartment has the feel of a living gallery.
Yet, the apartment retains a private side, with large sliding doors to separate master bedroom and private zones from the rest of the apartment. We used materials and finishes to create a sense of sophisticated comfort, using contrastive honed natural limestone and dark timber with the glow of chrome and finely woven stainless steel mesh.
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Collins Place Less is more
Completed in 1981 after almost a decade of construction, Collins Place was, in its day, a controversial addition to Melbourne’s cityscape. Designed by renowned New York architects, IM Pei and Associates, the 1.3 hectare office and shopping complex subsumed several smaller city lots at a time when many of Melbourne’s historical and memorable buildings were being demolished in favour of glass and steel. Its most daring feature was also its most divisive: the two towers – one 49 and the other 45 floors high – were angled at 45 degrees to the city’s beloved Hoddle grid layout. Thirty years on, and we’re entering a period of renewed appreciation for Collins Place and its visionary architects, for whom this was their first Australian project. The brief for the upgrade of the foyer and forecourt emphasised that the spirit of the original concept should be retained, while giving the entrance a stronger identity. Our design response was that ‘less is more’, improving signage and pedestrian flow while working with the original architecture and materiality. The vast entry forecourt to the complex, sandwiched between the angled towers, is dominated by an expansive frame ceiling that gives a voluminous sense of space. The design is inherently about geometry and triangulation, creating a highly articulated and complex spatial dynamic.
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To add too much to Collins Place would be to destroy the spirit and experience of this inherently beautiful sense of space. To do too little would be to miss the opportunity for grandeur that the space provides. That, in short, was the challenge. Our design highlights the space itself, punctuating it and providing direction for pedestrians with sculptural seating. Bronze and silver-toned metal elements dynamically reflect the light and connect the solidity of the ground area with the ephemeral lightness of the vast volume of air above. We demarcated the tower entries more clearly using double-height gateways in glass and steel, providing clear signage and identification for the building’s tenants. The lobby to 35 Collins Street is highlighted with a distinctive feature wall, and we used reflective and backlit surfaces to blur boundaries and enhance the perception of space. The result is a more positive access point to this ‘city within a city’, a modern reinvigoration of the original architectural concept which has a clear sense of scale and flow from a pedestrian’s eye view. Future projects will upgrade the grand space itself and the entrance to the Kino cinema.
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Pacific Apartments Interior design on display
SJB Interiors was one of three design firms selected to create interiors for Pacific, a new apartment development at North Bondi. Apartment developments have been one of the most enduring sectors of the construction industry in Sydney over the last five years, and display suites have become increasingly important in selling apartments off the plan. The client’s brief for the Pacific display suite was simple (!): a world class, aspirational space that conveyed relaxed luxury and captured the prospective buyer’s imagination. The challenge with all display suites is to create the real sense of a luxury home in what is otherwise a commercial space for selling apartments. We focused on generating a feeling of calm and ease, with light colours and tactile materials that echoed the weathered quietitude of the beachside location. We focused on selecting materials and furnishings by local manufacturers, and the palette was restrained and textured to sit comfortably in front of the building’s extraordinary views. In fact, we collaborated with the architect of the vaulted pavilion to mirror the entire back wall so that the view was in sight from all angles.
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The Pacific display suite set a new benchmark for the industry: the release of 87 apartments sold out on the first Saturday morning of the launch, with many going to overseas buyers. Clearly it wasn’t all about the interior design, but our creation of an idealistic vision of beachside luxury, right down to our careful selection of small, thoughtful accessories, certainly had an significant impact on the style of the project. If you’re wondering what happens to these display suites once they’ve fulfilled their use, you’ll be glad to hear the structure of the building is sustainable – the slabs and walls of the suite won’t be demolished, but will be retained in the final development, reskinned and refilled.
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55 Southbank Boulevard
Over our 35 year history with Melbourne’s architecture, we’ve experienced exciting times in the development and expansion of the city. We have particularly been involved with projects in the CBD and Southbank precinct, and this retrospective gives us the opportunity to reflect on the work of our architectural practice and on the changing landscape of Melbourne. Twenty-five years ago we completed 55 Southbank Boulevard, sited on what was then a landmark corner for the new link from St Kilda Road to the city. At this time, this predominantly light industrial precinct south of the Yarra was undergoing significant change in use. We were commissioned to design a mixeduse development comprising a ground floor showroom, mezzanine level and six office floors with four residential penthouses above, totalling approximately 12 000sqm. Alfred de Bruyne, Michael Bialek and Adam Haddow take up the story. “This project represents an early example of urban renewal in Melbourne – an idea that is familiar now, but at the time was challenging the existing city form. The building, situated on a prominent site, established a new presence for Southbank, and paved the way for an influx of retail, commercial and residential buildings. “Despite its small scale relative to current developments in the area, the simple, yet classic design has enabled it to stand the test of time and remain relevant to its context. Southbank is an area of Melbourne that has seen an extraordinary amount of growth in recent years. The landscape was vastly different when we were commissioned to design 55 Southbank Boulevard. At that time, Southbank had very few commercial and residential buildings – almost unrecognisable from how it looks today.
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“New development controls were being introduced to encourage inner-city housing developments. The inclusion of residential in the mixed-use building allowed an increase from three to seven storeys, integral to giving the building presence in the street. “This project is memorable for SJB both as a boutique commercial office building, and a project that further developed the ideas and approach of our architectural practice. At that time, we were exploring ways in which commercial buildings could be made distinct with quality surfaces and sculptural forms. “The irregular shape of the site demanded a confident design to define the prominent corner and take advantage of its three frontages. The taut glazed façade, juxtaposed with the over-scaled vertical blade element bisecting the form, was a contemporary architectural statement that also defined the entry and address to the building. The upper residential level was set back to provide the penthouses with terraces with city views. “Glazing technology was significant in this project and as a practice we were really leading the way in sophisticated glazing technologies. We were developing our use of curtain wall systems and exploring the use of innovative high-tech glazing solutions, which allowed us to further explore sculptural form-making in our designs. Other buildings of the era that had strong sculptural expression include Nissan Finance in South Melbourne, 580 St Kilda Road and the BMW Import Centre. “The combination of cutting-edge technology, which helped us push the boundaries of our own practice, with the opportunity to contribute a landmark to the now well-established corner of Southbank Boulevard and City Road, is what makes this project unique – both in 1989 and now, 25 years on.”
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SJB Urban’s Place Quality Assessment Tool Measuring the impact of development
As Australia’s cities continue to undergo development in response to changing needs and population growth, we are increasingly sensitive to the ways in which redevelopment can affect the quality of public spaces – but how do you definitively measure a subjective thing like ‘quality’? The Victorian State Government’s Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD) needed an assessment tool that allowed them to consistently and reliably measure the quality of place over time, to gauge how private and public sector development impacted local areas. Traditionally, ‘quality of place’ has been measured in purely physical terms, such as streetscapes and amenities, but for this project SJB Urban developed an innovative tool which takes assessment beyond these factors. The tool allows socially important aspects such as safety, accessibility, activity levels, usage patterns, diversity, comfort and amenities to be measured, using a comprehensive range of around 60 welldefined criteria.
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Because the tool is to be reapplied every two years, it was important to incorporate detailed definitions and instructions with each criterion, so that different researchers would produce consistent and accurate data. We worked with the DPCD to develop and assess these, and the result is a tool which generates meaningful, measurable data on the quality of public spaces and enables us to identify what makes them succeed or fail. To our knowledge, the Place Quality Assessment Tool is the only one of its kind in the world to assess public spaces against all the criteria that make a place work.
SJB Melbourne +61 3 9699 6688 Sydney +61 2 9380 9911 sjb.com.au
Creating amazing places