Design is often an exercise in historical restoration, reinstatement and the thoughtful use of creative licence to shape a new architectural language. In St Kilda Hill House, the original two-storey Victorian verandah had been removed decades earlier, and the effect on the house’s facade was reminiscent of an ancient Greek statue with a missing nose. While we were digging for the footings, we discovered a single remnant of the iron lace. It was like uncovering a buried time capsule that someone tucked away in the hope that one day it would be found. Combined with research into neighbouring examples, it provided just enough information to reconstruct authentic ironwork that was true to the home’s origins.
Heritage is not static; it develops over time. The cities we are drawn to are those that visually tell the story of their history. Old brushing up against new, revealing the details and skills of a particular maker and a specific moment in time. In Athens, we were intrigued by the empty buildings that had been left to crumble. Even in a state of grim disrepair, covered in graffiti, they had a real personality of their own. It definitely started a conversation about the potential of such ruins. When we think about curbing the environmental impact of building, reimagining existing buildings is a huge consideration.
We also love working with old buildings because all of that history gives us a place to begin their next chapter. We worked on an 1800s red-brick dairy and weatherboard workers cottage in Albert Park that is a local icon. During the 1950s, it was owned by a Grand Prix mechanic. Racing legends, including Juan Manuel Fangio and Jack Brabham, would go to his workshop after races to celebrate their wins and spray paint their names onto the walls. It was all still there, including the original cobblestones that had been worn down by the horses and carts over the years and the dilapidated cottage. We removed the small rooms to create one cohesive space and stitched the buildings together visually with a minimal staircase that sweeps through the levels. A master leather man wrapped and stitched the handrail, as a reference to the building’s racing car history and a way to continue the material patina. From the outside, it still looks like a traditional little weatherboard nestled against a brick dairy, but when you open the front door, a new story unfolds.
We select materials that are familiar to the building’s original era – marble, timber, even rattan – and use them to create modern forms. For St Kilda Hill House, rather than replicating a traditional Victorian tessellated pattern, we designed an interlocking stone tile composition that was sympathetic to the period, yet distinctly modern. When original details such as fireplaces and architraves are missing, we focus on creating a new internal language that pays homage to the traditional materials and crafts while remaining contemporary.
The character of a city is built up over centuries. Reimagining a heritage house adds another layer to the narrative of the city – it is a genuine privilege to play a part in that process.