skylight
This project involved the refurbishment of an apartment within a multi-unit development, originally designed by the prominent architect Roy Simpson. Located on the banks of the Yarra River, the interior overlooks the well manicured lawns of a golf course foregrounded by Eucalyptus trees. The brief stipulated only two requirements: to maximise the panoramic view of the surrounding landscape, and to draw the night sky into the interior. Our response to the existing conditions and the client brief are manifest in two interventions, each dealing with notions of a simulated or virtual experience. The original floor plan constrained all windows to the riverside to capture the views - the new design challenges this orientation through the insertion of a series of mirrors or ‘virtual windows, on the opposite wall. These new ‘windows’ are framed by a lofted wall, which gently undulates between wall and ceiling to construct the illusion of a 360° river frontage. The second aspect of the design scheme employs computer controlled LED lighting in conjunction with laser-cut ceiling panels. Organised as an abstract diagram of the planned use of the interiors, these lights correlate with the different functional areas of the open plan living, dining and kitchen areas. The lighting arrangement mimics the night sky: a virtual constellation of tiny globes that are animated and controlled by computer and the mood of the occupants.
Project Team: Andrew Simpson, Dennis Prior, Eugene An
Completed: 2008
Builder: Speller Constructions
Photography: Derek Swalwell