Floating Concept – Ukiyo by Chapter Group and K2LD

Responding to a lively visual landscape, Ukiyo forms a unique iteration of a mixed use development. Designed by K2LD for Chapter Group, the architectural work sees the concept of floating successfully applied to a built form.

Settled into the Melbourne suburb of Prahran, Ukiyo faces Percy Street, High Street and Porter Street, whilst also engaging nearby Chapel Street. The multi-aspect nature of the building defines the internal experience with sweeping views and incoming floods of natural light, presenting the transition from daytime to dusk as a spectacle to be enjoyed from within. Adding to the history of its site, Ukiyo represents the combined reimagination of an old warehouse, badge factory and two adjoining townhouses. The building stretches over ten levels, including a ground floor retail space soon to be occupied by an established local hospitality operator, three levels dedicated to commercial usage, and six levels of high-end half or full floor residences – a refreshing spatial feature within the local urban context.

The multi-aspect nature of building defines the internal experience with sweeping views and incoming floods of natural light, presenting the transition from daytime to dusk as a spectacle to be enjoyed from within.

Using the Japanese artform Ukiyo-e – meaning ‘floating world’ – as inspiration, K2LD develops a sense of airiness. The building showcases rectilinear glass forms stacked to cantilever over one another. Immersed in the dynamics of projected and receded elements, the balconies are experienced as settings of expansive space. Internally, floor-to-ceiling glass panels provide residents with a 270-degree view over the city and out to the bay. Expressing the Ukiyo-e idea of joie de vivre, the building is also crafted to hone the excitement of the everyday, welcoming the street perspective. On the exterior, lines of mullions, panels and fins combine with vertical sections of greenery to mirror the visual bustle of people in transit.

Underpinned by similar sentiments, the interior design of Ukiyo celebrates the lived experience through a set of flowing spaces. Residents navigate the home with ease, comforted by the layers of sophisticated materiality and orientation of linear profiles. The delicacy of fluted glass juxtaposes striking black window frames, sturdy timber and rich, dark veining on natural stone. Wolf appliances and Sussex taps complement the decorative scheme, proposing an elevated, seamless interpretation of functionality. Throughout the design process, K2LD responds to the individual needs of each buyer, customising the chosen penthouse floor plan to produce a compelling outcome.

Using the Japanese artform Ukiyo-e – meaning ‘floating world’ – as inspiration, K2LD develops a sense of airiness.

Conceptually rich, Ukiyo reflects a deep consideration of Japanese art, the Prahran streetscape and the lifestyles of its occupants. Liaising with Chapter Group, K2LD establishes a building well-matched to its generous available vistas.