Milieu and Edition Office have completed 231 Napier Street, eleven exclusive apartments positioned on a peaceful street in the heart of Fitzroy. Surrounded by culture and commerce, this quiet pocket of Melbourne sits on a coveted spot, bordered by Gertrude, Smith and Brunswick Streets just north of the city. Back in 2019, the conception of this project graced our pages and now we are happy to reveal the finished product.For Milieu, who specialise in crafting small to medium scale developments within Melbourne‘s most attractive inner-city enclaves, the development reflects their dedication to enhancing neighbourhoods through design. Teaming up with Edition Office, 231 Napier Street has been designed with consideration for its surrounding buildings, marrying contemporary ideals with the history of site and context.“We studied the materiality of Fitzroy’s historic buildings, their relief patterns, the composition of windows and doors to the façade, and the rhythm of party walls that line the streetscape,” says Aaron Roberts, director at Edition Office. “This research informed the design process from the outset creating a strong connection with the neighbouring context.”Subtle details and materiality amplify the building’s honest character and feel. When encountered from the street, the building appears as a series of singular, raw concrete shells stacked, one upon the other. Each apartment is transformed into a vessel that offers a sense of enclosure and protection. Related: Milieu’s 231 Napier Street Apartments in Fitzroy, Melbourne by Edition Office Launch For Sale. Rg Edition Napier 001024520001 001 Edition Office 231 Napier Street Milieu Australian Architecture Photo Rory Gardiner Yellowtrace 02 Rg Edition Napier 007 Edition Office 231 Napier Street Milieu Australian Architecture Photo Rory Gardiner Yellowtrace 04 Edition Office 231 Napier Street Milieu Australian Architecture Photo Rory Gardiner Yellowtrace 05 Edition Office 231 Napier Street Milieu Australian Architecture Photo Rory Gardiner Yellowtrace 06 Rg Edition Napier 018 Rg Edition Napier 016 Rg Edition Napier 001024360001 001 Rg Edition Napier 019 Rg Edition Napier 021 Rg Edition Napier 001024370005 001 Edition Office 231 Napier Street Milieu Australian Architecture Photo Rory Gardiner Yellowtrace 13 Rg Edition Napier 022 Rg Edition Napier 023 Edition Office 231 Napier Street Milieu Australian Architecture Photo Rory Gardiner Yellowtrace 16 Rg Edition Napier 003 Rg Edition Napier 010025880005 B 001 Rg Edition Napier 002 Rg Edition Napier 009 Rg Edition Napier 014 Rg Edition Napier 012 Rg Edition Napier 013 Rg Edition Napier 015 Rg Edition Napier 027 Rg Edition Napier 001 Rg Edition Napier 010 Inside, visitors are greeted by an internal atrium enclosed in a perforated metal surround providing ever-changing light and air into the common spaces. The momentary quality of this entryway ensures each arrival and departure feels different from the last. It also acts as a filtering mechanism, obscuring the connection between public and private spaces.Carefully sleeved within the building’s raw shell is a more tender, pale timber inner skin. This delicate timber boundary embodies luxurious simplicity, amplifying the building’s character and feel. The internal spaces are deliberately paired back, removing internal walls to maximise space, allowing for more free-flowing light and air, strengthening the connection to the outdoors.231 Napier Street reflects Milieu and Edition Office’s commitment to refined simplicity and civic responsibility, enhancing the local neighbourhood rather than taking away from it. Related: 223 Napier Street, Melbourne by Freadman White for Milieu. [Images courtesy of Milieu. Photography by Rory Gardiner.] Share the love:FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPinterest Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ