Palazzo Marcello at Whitlam Place, Melbourne by Freadman White.

With the multi-storey apartment development, Whitlam Place in Melbourne’s Fitzroy, Freadman White and Marcello Donati of Anon Studio set themselves the task of designing eleven new residences that pursue the notion of timelessness equated with the principles of classic modernism. Rather than design something that had the ubiquitous ‘sameness’ of other multi-residential developments, the design team aimed to discover new ways of living and new forms of construction. To do this, they combined the blending of artisanal practices with craft and attention to detail.

“We are committed to providing a design response that is highly reflective of its context; not in a literal, reactive manner, but through sensorial and textural moments, influenced by accumulated memories of place and informed by the achievements of modern domestic architecture,” explains architect Michael White of Freadman White.

Inspired by the classical proportions of the nearby Fitzroy Town Hall, the building offers a dynamic interpretation of its fluted Corinthian columns and rich architectural detail.

Whitlam Place is conceived as a solid form resting atop a podium of light-filled transparency; balancing material weight against structural lightness, presence against permeability. Externally, brass-framed, pop-out windows, offer depth and texture to the façade. A copper oxide finish applied to the concrete exterior creates depth and compelling colour variation, as green and bronze tones subdue the material’s solidity, aided by the textures of layered vertical greenery,” says White.

“I believe that buildings should respond to their environments by using materials that continue to live and change with the passage of time, taking you on a journey that unveils layers of craft and detail, imbuing the building with a richness of feeling.”

Unlike a lot of the current off-the-plan developments, Whitlam Place offers each of the owner-occupiers a unique living experience. To this end, each of the eleven apartments has been designed to have a ‘different personality’, specifically catered to suit the needs of a variety of occupants. As we live, we start to collect items that define us, precious pieces, artworks, objects, aspects that form part of the fabric of our lives. Acknowledging this, the floor plans have been modified to suit individual owners’ favourite pieces, furniture, belongings, even adapting space to include one owner’s baby grand piano.

“After all, a home is the stratification of personal memories collected through time, and a responsive environment allows these memories to build and develop powerfully through the home,” explains White.

The penthouse apartment is “the glass jewel on top of the brutalist base”, with curved glazing wrapping around a private rooftop courtyard facing south to the park. Reminiscent of a traditional courtyard house, sliding doors open to an outdoor space expanding the living area. Zones are defined by the semicircular shape of the courtyard that cuts into the otherwise rectangular floor plan.

The two-bedroom penthouse has a striking spatial energy, with the coloured oculus skylight giving the impression of a James Turrell artwork as the light changes its shade from aubergine to apricot throughout the day. Italian design influence and sensibilities are felt in the pink and green terrazzo flooring, playful Scarpa-esque detailing and the character of the owner’s eclectic furniture collection.

Freadman White’s commitment to the curious and the unexpected in most evident in the way the marble kitchen splashback wraps around the wall toward the bedroom. Trades have been used for more than one application – for example, the tiler who developed the Australiana-inspired pink and green terrazzo patterns with Freadman White and Anon Studio also made the tiled table surfaces.

The building’s architecture strongly defines the interior design of the entire project, which was important to all collaborators involved. While the interior of each of these apartments has strong ties to the individuals who own them, the exterior acknowledges the history of the buildings surrounding it, creating a symbiotic relationship to the external environment while harmonising with the occupants within.