Sculptural Restraint – Mary Street House by Edition Office

To extend the legacy of an existing heritage home, the architect of Mary Street House expands the rear through a solid sculptural lens, enhancing the character and identity of this corner allotment. Edition Office takes inspiration from the original brickwork in place, reinterpreting its permanence using a contemporary approach.

Navigating any heritage structure requires a responsive and respectful approach. In ensuring the interplay between eras pays homage to the original, Edition Office imbues the home with a sweeping and sculptural feel, and the existing brickwork is used in a newly defined formation across the site. Looking to reduce noise from the street and simultaneously create a private outdoor space, an encasing wall extends around the site, embracing the side of the abode. With a brushed finish, Edition Office creates an unexpected contrast between the solidity of the materials and the softly finished surface, setting the tone for spaces within.

With a brushed finish, Edition Office creates an unexpected contrast between the solidity of the materials and the softly finished surface, setting the tone for spaces within.

Located in St Kilda West, an inner suburb of Melbourne, the additions made to the Federation-era home ensure a more optimised use of the site, with timber lining the interiors to instil a sense of warmth and invitation. The new wing is comprised of brick forms that communicate a contemporary design, a clear departure from the original structure. Unlike the ornate and decorative style of the façade, the new volumes use a more simplified palette. With the long, connecting corridor binding old and new, an outdoor courtyard offers an extra buffer from the streetscape and enhances natural light and ventilation, allowing the space to become more involved in the everyday experience of the dwelling.

A deliberate approach to determining how the interior engages with the elements further adds to the narrative of contrasts. The natural grasses and other plant species soften the otherwise hard edges and enhance the lighter elements in the process. From above, the considered placement of skylights allows for sunlight to permeate the interior, illuminating spaces throughout the day. It is ultimately through refinement and attention to detail that the old and new coalesce, yet these elements remain thoughtful towards their respective eras.

It is ultimately through refinement and attention to detail that the old and new coalesce, yet these elements remain thoughtful towards their respective eras.

Responding to its original character, and redefined through a contemporary lens using a similar material palette, Mary Street House embraces its Federation heritage, carrying it forward into a new era. Edition Office folds in enriching layers as an expression of craft, shaping bespoke places of quietude amid an otherwise animated setting.