Foundry Lane by Jolson

In this bold and beautiful addition to Melbourne’s gritty urban landscape, Jolson has reinterpreted the concept of a commercial warehouse conversion with a contemporary twist.

One of these things is not like the others. Though this residential warehouse – conceptualised and built by holistic architecture and interiors studio Jolson – is a brand-new construction, it sits seamlessly within the commercial precinct of Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs. Sitting shoulder to shoulder with the aged industrial edifices of the area, its concrete-grey facade contrasting with the ubiquitous red brick-dominated streetscape, it echoes the essence – if not precisely the form – of its long-residing neighbours.

“In order to maintain the footprint, we decided to redesign the new building as a more contemporary, streamlined version of the old building.”

Originally, the project was intended as a straightforward warehouse conversion, inspired by practice founder Stephen Jolson’s home and workspace next door. Jolson’s Sunrise development is a modern family home, set within the age-patinaed envelope of an old confectionery factory. Its marriage of residential comfort within the gritty shell of a slice of Melbourne’s industrial history was exactly what the homeowners of Foundry Lane wanted for the next, empty-nest stage of their lives. “They were attracted to this idea of moving back to a semi-commercial, urban style of living,” says Jolson.

Unfortunately, the first challenge faced on the project was a game-changing one; contamination – a hangover from the building’s former commercial life – had made the dwelling unsalvageable and forced a demolition and complete redesign. “In order to maintain the footprint, we decided to redesign the new building as a more contemporary, streamlined version of the old building,” says Jolson, who describes the design’s influence as an “arms-length inspiration”, keeping the flavour of the old but giving it a contemporary twist.

In contrast to the regimental straightness and angularity of the lower floors, the top floor gives way to a graceful concave with a true urban oasis cradled within – a large private garden.

Though the execution of Foundry Lane is quite different to its neighbour, there’s the same sense of a gift to be unopened, with the streetside facade dropping tantalising hints of the building beyond. From a pedestrian’s ground-level perspective, the abode captures the raw functionality of a warehouse. But cast your gaze upwards or step back just a little, and the design’s innovative elements appear in the playful spill of greenery through window-like apertures, and in the confluence of razor-sharp angles and seductive curves.

In contrast to the regimental straightness and angularity of the lower floors, the top floor gives way to a graceful concave with a true urban oasis cradled within – a large, elevated and private garden, which shrouds the first-floor living areas in greenery and creates a connection with the leafy context of the street. Within this penthouse-style top level, which houses the main bedroom and ensuite, the thematic form continues with rounded features, including curved floor transitions and a sculptural circular shower in polished plaster.

“It’s a whole celebration of curvaceous form. It’s a play on the way natural light falls off edges and the softness created by junctions.”

“It’s this whole celebration of curvaceous form,” says Jolson. “It’s a play on the way natural light falls off edges and the softness created by junctions. We’ve done a lot of work in recent years with really trying to break down hard lines and introduce a softness of materiality and texture. On this project, there was a whole series of soft lines that allow the light to simply flow.”

Connecting the floors is a sculptural spiral staircase. The curve of the balustrade falls into an elegant twist, which is functional, of course, but as whimsical as a work of art – and it is spotlit as such, with a porthole skylight above spilling a precise pool of sunshine into it. A similar oculus is positioned above the lift shaft: “You’re always moving up towards natural light.”

“The whole kitchen is this play on the idea of a faceted piece of stone. The island bench is like a beautiful, rough-cut diamond.”

Where the sweep of stairs alights on the lower floors, it contrasts with a polar opposite aesthetic in a space of crisp angles and geometric shapes. This is partly inspired by one of the homeowner’s professions – trading in gemstones. “The whole kitchen, for instance, is this play on the idea of a faceted piece of stone. The island bench is like a beautiful, rough-cut diamond.”

The interior aesthetic on these lower levels could be likened to an array of gemstones in a jeweller’s velvet display. Blackened mild steel lines the walls and joinery, and Neolith palazzo floors form a moody backdrop for art – including a black-and-white photography triptych by Massimo Listri – and sculptural fixtures, including the Oblica Gyrofocus fireplace. The soft furnishings – like sofas in sapphire and peridot green – offer pops of jewel-toned drama against the home’s greyscale palette. Further small injections of colour are placed around Foundry Lane like Easter eggs; for example, the powder room, which is fully lined – including the doors – in jungle-themed wallpaper.

“That’s the trick of layering materialities. You bring out this depth of material, lay it against other materials and it creates an incredible dialogue.”

Though stark and dramatic, there is a definite sense of warmth and comfort in Foundry Lane. The topmost floor is bathed in light and pulls from the garden and tree-speckled city view a gentle palette of soft green joinery, green-flecked quartzite floors and pearlescent pigmented plaster. But even in the darker downstairs rooms, characterised by raw industrial materials like concrete and burnished metal, there’s a cocooning comfort. “That’s the trick of layering materialities,” says Jolson. “You bring out this depth of material, lay it against other materials and it creates an incredible dialogue.”

Softness comes through in the layering of materials that invite touch – the blackened steel that has the matte effect of suede, velvet-soft upholstery fabrics and the hand-smoothed effect of polished plaster. “That’s what the project is all about, the attention to detail and very bespoke finishes,” says Jolson. “There’s a handmade quality to it all that gives it a lot of depth and texture.”

Architecture, interior design and landscape design by Jolson. Build by Leone Constructions. Engineering by Engineering Elements.