172
2022
“A process of subtraction and precision, restoring clarity to the original volume while inserting a refined material language that amplifies light, view and occupation.”
Set within 99 Spring Street, a robust 1970s concrete and brick tower overlooking Victoria’s Parliament, Apartment 172 continues a broader engagement with the building following earlier works to the lobby through a focused interior restoration.
The project begins with subtraction. Layers of alteration accrued over time are removed to reveal the original spatial generosity of the apartment, allowing volume, light and view to reassert themselves. With expansive outlooks to the east, north and west, the interior is recalibrated so that the landscape becomes the primary occupant, and the inhabitants its audience.
Insertions are precise and deliberate. Rather than reconfigure the plan, the project operates through a series of embedded elements, joinery, furniture and services, that organise use without disrupting the clarity of the existing volume. The result is a space that feels both open and highly controlled.
Materially, the apartment draws from the language of the 1970s while refining it. Polished concrete, aluminium and brass establish a restrained, reflective palette, offset by the warmth of Tasmanian blackwood. The ceiling is reimagined as a field of lightweight aluminium strips, subtly referencing the adjacent Parliament station while amplifying light and atmosphere throughout the day.
The kitchen operates as both workspace and social condenser, shaped by a focus on hospitality. A stand up desk, central bench and direct visual connection to the distant landscape position it as the functional core of the apartment.
Bedrooms are reduced to quiet, essential spaces, while bathrooms introduce a heightened material intensity through solid brass elements, compact but deliberate moments of contrast within the otherwise controlled interior.
Apartment 172 is not a reinvention, but a recalibration. A careful alignment of space, material and view that restores the intent of the original building while extending its relevance for contemporary living.
-
APARTMENT
-
COMPLETE | 2022
-
WURUNDJERI | MELBOURNE, VICTORIA
-
BUILDER | BLULINE
-
PHOTOGRAPHY | DAN PRESTON FOR EST LIVING
-
-
WINNER | 2023 HOUSES AWARDS | APARTMENT OR UNIT