Calming Coastal – Coastview Apartment by Andrew Burges Architects
A respectful reworking of the interior shell of an existing Harry Seidler and Associates building in Vaucluse, Coastview Apartments draw on the building’s closeness to the sea to conjure a fitting calm. Andrew Burges Architects combines a familiar coolness with layered elements, elevating apartment life to match the iconic status of the building it sits within.
Looking out over Diamond Bay in Vaucluse, Coastview Apartments are a rarity as they sit teetering over the cliff face below. The presence of the midcentury building the apartments sit within set the tone for the approach taken in reimagining them, allowing the architecture to lead the way. The open spanning of the glazing creates a rhythmic framework for similar lines within. Originally built in the 1960s, the outer shell was designed by Harry Seidler and Associates and epitomises the experimental approach of the time. Andrew Burges Architects focuses on injecting a sense of relevance while retaining the original charm and linear language of the existing architecture.
With the new works built by Robert Plumb Build and engineering by Structure Consulting Engineers, Coastview Apartments are given a new lease on life, continuing the narrative over time. In its coastal condition and the battering from the incoming winds and sea conditions, the response required a certain level of robustness. Both externally and in the interior approach, there is a shared appreciation for the avoidance of the ornate and a focus on directing views outward. Each floor plate becomes a viewfinder of sorts, framing the ocean and the horizon in the distance and acting as a constantly in motion backdrop for everyday life.
With nothing interrupting the views and an immediate cliff edge below, there is a sharpness at play. This references a linear language and has consequently informed the interior approach, especially the custom joinery that dissects the resulting planning. Concealing amenity, the joinery acts to reinforce clean lines throughout and assist in the flow and movement internally. Full-height storage sits behind walls that deliberately increase the sense of scale and proportion by eliminating clutter. Similarly, a restricted palette ensures the materiality is complementary and balancing, further adding to the story of calm.
With nothing interrupting the views and an immediate cliff edge below, there is a sharpness at play.
Clean and muted, Coastview Apartments become a softly sheltering harbour, contrasting with the rugged surrounds while referencing the sharp cliff the building sits upon. Andrew Burges Architects respectfully responds to the existing architecture while updating the interiors for a new era.
