A Space Between – Periwinkle by Architecture Architecture

A warehouse renovation in Fitzroy, Periwinkle is a nod to a unique vernacular, where the building and outer shell are secondary to what lies within. Architecture Architecture combines an inquisitive and curious approach to carve out a calming oasis in amongst some extraordinary bones.

Periwinkle is an unusual sight in some ways and, in others, very familiar. As the repurposing of a commercial shell as a residential space, the process of conversion is not new, but it perhaps the type of space inherited that offers such a unique experience. It could also be the setting in Melbourne’s inner-north of Fitzroy, an area known for its streets dotted with workers cottages and beautifully ornate Victorian terraces. As Melbourne’s first suburb, the area is home to a combined interwoven fabric of residential, industrial and commercial typologies, all connected in some way. Periwinkle emerges as a space between these more identifiable well-known buildings and is the repurposing and the creation of an identity for a place that was without such inherent character. It was almost a blank canvas, and Architecture Architecture takes on the challenge of bringing a sense of deliberateness and intention through cohesive materiality and planning.

Periwinkle is an unusual sight in some ways and, in others, very familiar.

Built by Aaron Perry, with lighting by Jess Perry of Electrolight, the space emerges as a calm respite from the outside bustle. Its quiet and considered internal volume offers both contrast and a balance to the space’s previous multitude of uses and to the area and its history. Taking occupancy as a space between spaces, the project needed a sense of intelligibility to bring the comprising parts of a lived space together. The pre-existing original warehouse windows for example, offer a nod to the building’s past, while expressing the historical richness of the area. The new insertions and custom joinery both conceal and create their own spaces within the greater whole. Reimagining the kitchen as a geometric silhouette as well as a functional element is both a gesture of curiosity as well as a camouflaged utility area tucked away from the open living space. Through a careful and restrained approach, the materiality then both mutes and calms the spaces together as one.

Through the application of creativity and ingenuity, an approach driven by simplicity emerges to guide Periwinkle from a previously directionless space into one with its own character and identity. Architecture Architecture challenges the typical and expected with rigour to create a rich home within the existing outer shell.

As the repurposing of a commercial shell as a residential space, the process of conversion is not new, but it perhaps the type of space inherited that offers such a unique experience.

It could also be the setting in Melbourne’s inner-north of Fitzroy, an area known for its streets dotted with workers cottages and beautifully ornate Victorian terraces.