Brutalist Modern – Myvore by Cera Stribley and AV-ID Design
Navigating the irregular geometry of its site, the resulting form that emerges sees Myvore radiate from its central circulation element that offers itself as the sculptural spine of the home. In close consultation with owner Peter Kerr, Cera Stribley combine forces with AV-ID Design to propose a brutalist and modern home for its Toorak setting.
As a new build in its Toorak locale, Myvore sits prominent and bold, comfortably on its generous allotment in the inner south-east of Melbourne. With neighbouring properties of similar scale and grandeur, the house sits back from its bounding entry behind a landscaped courtyard, injecting a welcomed formality to the arrival experience. In contrast to this imposed formality, the site affords its own challenges through an irregularity of form, and the resulting home emerges in response to that, interpreting brutalist monumentalism through a contemporary lens. In close consultation with owner Peter Kerr, Cera Stribley teams up with interior designers AV-ID Design to create a home that is both wholly considered and finely detailed, while summoning itself as a unique and personalised urban abode.
Built by Leone Construction, Myvore is engulfed and surrounded by curated landscapes by Phillip Withers, where the articulation of the site extends beyond the building fabric, creating outdoor spaces and rooms as extensions of the home. The six-metre fall in terrain of the site then adds an additional level of complexity, yetin spite of that, embedding a grounded sensibility was key. Internally, and in navigating its less than regular site, the spaces radiate from a central circulation element that doubles as a key sculptural feature at the same time. In breaking the traditional formality of a typified home, a series of spaces emerge as wings that are accessed from this central gesture, opening outward, each with their own unique feels.
Similar to the warm embrace of the familiar, the team wanted Myvore to feel enveloping, protective and as if it was from the earth. Through a mix of contrasting and tonal layers of texture, the enriching materiality offers an encasing warmth that is further emphasised by the curved formal gestures throughout. Each space has its own identifiable presence, all within an overall combined natural and time-wearing approach. Inspired by a 1960s and 1970s Brazilian brutalism, limestone is used alongside warm walnut and concrete, connected through an openness in planning, while large glazing elements bridge the conversation between built and natural. Meanwhile, softer elements are intertwined to create a balance, though still allowing the home to feel a statement in itself.
Combining a saturated and grounded approach, the gestures that comprise Myvore create a home of endearing warmth and resonance. The combination of Cera Stribley, AV-ID Design and client Peter Kerr sees a modern interpretation of the brutalism movement emerge while being deeply connected to its site.
