Vida and Forma are two of a trio of small-scale apartment developments that sit side by side in a leafy enclave surrounded by one of the oldest golf courses in Australia and public parkland, an historically significant residential area with Arts & Crafts and interwar villas and small apartment buildings, located in the harbourside suburb of Rose Bay in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
Both apartment buildings have been carefully designed to complement each other. They seamlessly integrate with the ambience of a wider mixed streetscape, a designated heritage conservation zone with many excellent examples of the early twentieth century and interwar architecture typical to metropolitan Sydney’s suburbs.
To the street, Vida embraces and enhances the fabric and general appearance of the original interwar unit block. Elements such as classical window screens and full-height shutters provide privacy and texture to elevations, and rendered, curved elements to the rear and wide angles soften the building’s edges.
The interiors are the unconventional fruit of Interior Designer Romaine Alwill’s imagination, executed with the skill of Project Architect Lluis Molins Calvet. Here, the usually anonymous design of apartments is contrasted with elements of domestic bliss such as fireplaces, intuitive flow out to the gardens, generous access to sunlight, privacy screens, and a carefully selected palette of materials.
