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Sensitively Layered – William Tappin House by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design
Revitalised by the thoughtful touch of Matt Gibson Architecture + Design, William Tappin House depicts the sensitive layering of a historical footprint with contemporary innovation. Dynamic in its present form, the home inherits individuality from its original heritage architecture that has been fortified by meticulous restoration and a striking new addition.
Amply storied, the residence has contentedly inhabited the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra since 1891, when it was originally designed and occupied by its namesake, William Tappin – a renowned Queen Anne-style architect. Leaving a legacy of celebrated ecclesiastical, civic and residential buildings across Victoria, Tappin’s designs bore the theatrical and ornamental hallmarks of late 19th-century architecture, with his own home no exception.
Replete with elaborately carved wooden features and lashings of fair limestone alongside ruby-hued brick, “whilst this building is a reason-ably pared back example,” compared to other highly decorative designs of the time, “it does retain attributes of the style,” asserts Matt Gibson, Director of Matt Gibson Architecture + Design. In the entry and staircase area, as well as the exterior, the verticality has been informed by English houses that were characterised by red brick, tall, exaggerated chimneys with tuckpointing, fine timberwork, stained window glass and limestone window and chimney dressings. “These aspects were representative of both Queen Anne and the concurrent arts and crafts movement prevalent in England and the world at this time,” he explains.
Attentive to William Tappin House’s rich chronology, the architects approached the project with a sincere appreciation for the existing structure and the new chapter they would be adding to its narrative. As well as the original construction, the dwelling had also undergone a series of “unsympathetic alterations that compromised heritage aspects of the building, including a poorly conceived 1980s addition, which covered over key heritage fabric and overshadowed the existing pool.” Forging forward to enrich and improve the home and, armed with an ethos underscored by the Burra Charter – an Australian guideline for cultural heritage management – Matt details that the restoration focused on “changing as much as necessary but as little as possible so that the authentic story may be told.”
Anchored and inspired by the residence’s roots, the resulting form is one of remarkable metamorphosis. Remaining courteous to the abode’s foundational essence and palette, its new rear addition emerges resolutely. Internally depicted in limed timber and off-form concrete that recalls the tonality of the limestone and basalt detailing of the original, externally, a plethora of terracotta tiles similarly wraps the faceted roofscape in an ode to red brick. Valiant origami-like folds see the modern volume of the home enveloped by an intriguing angularity that is unique amongst its traditional neighbouring counterparts.
Replacing the 1980s structure, the “new architectural intervention, whilst contemporary, is interpretive of the old. It is respectful of the home’s legacy, touching it lightly, and is located recessively in the shadow of the original building,” Matt describes. Along with a material palette that echoes the heritage frontage, arts and crafts elements such as “the revealing of structure, the expression of raw materials and a sense of the handmade” are present in the addition, further unifying the abode’s old and new anatomy. “It should be obvious what’s new and what’s original,” Matt tells. “We feel any new work should then be of its time but carried out with selective discretion taking cues from the existing building– whether that be in material, form, philosophy or concept.”
Grounded by the solidity of its geometric wall-to-ceiling framework, the extension’s presence remains cavernous and inviting as it sweeps openly to meet the environment. The atypical roofline forms a protective shell that cocoons alfresco areas and creates vignettes that see an interplay of zoning and elevation play out in tile, timber and brick. Flanked by carefully placed terracotta, the sculptural form of the exterior employs a ventilated and drained fully membraned roof and wall system. Matt recounts that his practice “has always been interested in material exploration and in detail refinement – whether that be through concealment or continuity of surface or using materials in innovative and sometimes non-conventional ways.” In this case, through the use of 3D computer modelling, “the system allows for the simplification of laying a roof material continuously over both roof and walls – allowing an alternative ventilated roof system – whilst adding to the visual simplicity and form-making aspect.”
Internally, the home is awash with warm repose. Exposed timber joists line the new ceiling plane, arranged linearly to emphasise the vastness of scale, whilst flickers of brass embellishment are peppered throughout, mirroring the polished brass fixtures and fittings of the original building. A generous concrete inglenook fireplace in the living room provides a setting where “family and friends can congregate and feel cosy and convivial in winter,” joined by an original fireplace of the existing building that has been repurposed outdoors. Expansive glass doors allow the living space to open and commune with the garden, producing an uninterrupted haven awash with fresh air. When closed, the glazing affords peeks towards the courtyard and pool that have been newly lined with limestone flagstones. Thoughtfully revealed and partly restored, the original quarters have been lightly touched to retain their 1880s character. Ornate interior detailing, a reinstated verandah to original detail – complete with new lacework – and black tuckpointing to match the existing enlivens the vintage building to its former glory.
Like the façade’s lovingly handmade terracotta tiles – some of which, Matt reveals, “have noticeable finger marks within them from their makers” – William Tappin House is embedded with the impression of both its most recent and its original creators. As the profile has evolved to accommodate a melding of historical and contemporary features, the home accumulates another architectural identity that is tailored by its present place in time.
