A Connection to Place – Bower Manly by Mim Design

Inspired by its surrounding context and the abundant beauty of the adjacent sandstone cliffs, Bower Manly is a narrative of contrasts, bringing the lightness of its coastal locale together with sense of weight and permanence. Mim Design combines a restrained and muted approach to connect the homes to their surroundings and ground occupants through an enhanced sense of place.

Enviably looking over the coast and surrounding sandstone cliff face of Manly, the medium-density development of the same name brings inspiration from its context into the spirit of both the resulting architecture and the interior experience. Balancing between the open lightness and ease of the coast with the heavy and anchoring cliffs and masonry used in the form of the building and its comprising parts, there is a harmonising effect at play. A muted and calming approach is taken to cloak the interiors with a clean contemporary feel, while the large and inviting openings and rhythm in the architectural elements offer generous connections to the nature beyond. Interiors by Mim Design, together with architecture by Koichi Takada Architects, offer an immersive approach to connect the occupants with their unique surroundings.

An embodiment of luxury living, Bower Manly places generous planning and its considered interconnection and flexibility of spaces to create a series of residences that can be customised by their owners.

Built by developer Costa Fox, Bower Manly opens itself up to its panoramic ocean views, with large floor-to-ceiling openings that extend the interior spaces into outdoor rooms, inviting the outside in. Inspired by a similar minimalist approach found in Japanese design, restraint and regular lines and geometries are used to shape and guide the resulting spaces. Each of the inserted elements, from joinery to planters, all are born from the same shared philosophy of stripping back ornamentation and expressing shapes in their bold and natural forms. Emphasis is then placed on texture and the honest, uncovered face of finishes to add subtle variation and to add movement through engagement with light. Underpinning the Japanese architectural design is a connection and celebration of the natural, and while the openings allow visual and ventilated connections, it is the curated terraces and private gardens that act as micro sculpted oases.

A palette of natural hues comes together across all of the spaces, both internally and externally, referencing the coastal colourings. Warming and muted timber is used alongside natural stone and polished plaster as key textural elements. An embodiment of luxury living, Bower Manly places generous planning and its considered interconnection and flexibility of spaces to create a series of residences that can be customised by their owners. Curved elements motion movement and softly resonate with the flow of the locale, while toned down greens and blues sit next to brass metal finishes to add depth to the spaces.

A palette of natural hues comes together across all of the spaces, both internally and externally, referencing the coastal colourings.

Bower Manly beautifully embraces its location and its many natural influences. Mim Design and Koichi Takada have carefully curated and proposed a series of residences that reference a classical approach, designed to endure.

A palette of natural hues comes together across all of the spaces, both internally and externally, referencing the coastal colourings.

Underpinning the Japanese architectural design is a connection and celebration of the natural, and while the openings allow visual and ventilated connections, it is the curated terraces and private gardens that act as micro sculpted oases.