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A Contemporary Touch – Hero Penthouse by markowitzdesign and Stavrias Architecture
The interior renovation of Hero Penthouse celebrates the subtlety and strength of a timber and stone material palette. As the product of an ongoing collaboration between markowitzdesign and Stavrias Architecture, the resulting home is both considerably crafted and uniquely detailed.
Located in Melbourne CBD, the two-level penthouse apartment is situated in a 1954 telephone exchange building – originally converted into residential apartments by Fender Katsalidis in 2001. The clients initially approached Adam Markowitz from markowitzdesign for a selection of eight Flea Dining Chairs. Two years later, they came to markowitzdesign again, this time to renovate Hero Penthouse. Armed with a simple brief – to produce a luxurious and sophisticated home with a focus on craftsmanship and timber detailing – markowitzdesign collaborated with Stavrias Architecture to reinvent the interior space with an impactful contemporary touch.
Armed with a simple brief – to produce a luxurious and sophisticated home with a focus on craftsmanship and timber detailing – markowitzdesign collaborated with Stavrias Architecture to reinvent the interior space with an impactful contemporary touch.
As a multi-disciplinary design studio, markowitzdesign utilises an innate understanding of furniture manufacturing to permeate spaces with a finely crafted attention to detail, evident throughout Hero Penthouse. Showcasing a passion and appreciation for material and design, the apartment is experienced through a minimally expressed palette. Despite the interior renovation having to work within the constraints of the original floorplan, the home feels open and bright. The architecture focuses on non-structural amendments to the space and dedicates energy into producing a refreshed sense of movement throughout.
The entryway to the home signifies a change of place and pace, recognising the act of arrival through fluted timber moulded panels that are lit with recessed soft LED lights, which are triggered by a motion sensor. A moment of pause is introduced with an American walnut bench seat – representing the home’s deliberate timber detailing while also providing an area to remove shoes.
The kitchen design centres the apartment as it opens up to the shared living space, feeling both warm and accessible, yet not overpowering. An integrated refrigerator and a fold-out butler’s pantry allow the kitchen to remain clean and functional. Sheltered from the kitchen and living space view is a study nook, crafted by repurposing an immovable structural wall within the home. After the project was completed, markowitzdesign was also commissioned to create a bespoke television unit and privacy screen, which was produced in collaboration with Simeon Dux, in order to shield some of the viewpoint of the apartment from Russell Street below.
Subtle touches of brass are featured within bespoke handles and corner trims of furniture and joinery pieces – these controlled elements of embellishment speak to a delicate strength and a refined aesthetic. The custom-designed features throughout the home add a sense of elegance to the space and reinforce the collaborative effort made by the architects, cabinet makers and builder. The decision to use a durable material palette of stone and timber imprints the space with a tactile familiarity, paired with a warm and neutral colour tonality – Tasmanian oak, America walnut and black stained veneer all feature throughout the apartment.
Hero Penthouse showcases an elevated understanding of material, form and function. The home is purposefully filled with works from local Australian design and furniture manufacturers, grounding the apartment in a graceful artistic pursuit. Together, both markowitzdesign and Stavrias Architecture have used considered timber detailing to produce a home that is at once authentically renewed and affectionately familiar.
