Art deco townhouses in Melbourne create a curvy beach-side block
![Pine Ave in Elwood, Melbourne](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tCSgurGp878htPLc5BYfWN-415-80.jpg)
Australian developers Angle and the BuxtonGroup have completed an art-deco inspired residential block in the coast-side suburb of Elwood in Melbourne. Designed by Cera Stribley Architects, the building features eight connected townhouses with curving white brickwork.
The series of three-storey homes were designed to capture the relaxed and modern aesthetic of their neighbourhood on the beach just south of St Kilda. Looking back to the 1920s and 30s for design influence, the architects used circular shapes, curves and bright white brickwork, contrasted with a charcoal finished frame of metal cladding to enhance the architectural lines.
Returning home to Pine Ave after a long day is a smooth journey, that starts to unfold from the curved white brick wall of the development that runs alongside the street. Once welcomed into a small front garden, a little micro-oasis of plants, the curvature of the façade caves in to highlight the entrances to the houses, creating a smooth and sheltered experience.
Design details were added to personalise the experience of ‘home’ for each resident: ‘Deliberately visualised to the nth degree, we have even included guidance tools such as custom mosaic numbers, created in collaboration with Brett Campbell, as you approach the townhomes, making each easier to identify; we felt that a sense of ownership was really important,’ said Dom Cerantonio, managing principal of Cera Stribley.
The curves of the façade continue inside through custom joinery, such as in the dining room table which also functions as storage, a circular mirror and a brass and black steel chef’s caddy.
While lightness and brightness are enhanced even further in the interior through a significant recess and a double height hallway creating the feeling of endless space. Neutral interior details designed by The Stella Collective include a brass rangehood, tapware, cabinetry in the kitchen, and white walls, white tiles and light grey terrazzo flooring in the bathrooms – these spaces were considered just as reflective and special as the bedrooms and living room spaces.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Angle website, the BuxtonGroup website and the Cera Stribley Architects website
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture lovers
Auberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
This Nova Lima apartment is a Brazilian family oasis with striking Minas Gerais views
A Nova Lima apartment designed by Jacobsen Arquitetura celebrates its long, natural Minas Gerais vistas
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
Proclamation House is a hempcrete urban sculpture nestled under peppermint trees
Built from hempcrete and stone, Proclamation House, a sculpturally angular build in Perth, Western Australia, carves out an intriguing niche on a quiet suburban street
By Carli Philips Published
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneer
Back in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Sun-drenched Los Angeles houses: modernism to minimalism
From modernist residences to riveting renovations and new-build contemporary homes, we tour some of the finest Los Angeles houses under the Californian sun
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Behind the timber façade of a Byron Bay house in Australia
Son Studio designed this Byron Bay house as an honest exterior for a light-filled Australian retreat
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
South Yarra House makes a sculptural statement in Melbourne
South Yarra House by Pandolfini Architects explores the interplay of compression and expansion through a series of surprising sculptural objects in Australia
By Grace Bernard Published
-
Burnt Earth Beach House is an experimental retreat crafted in terracotta
The experimental Australian Burnt Earth Beach House by John Wardle breaks new ground in material composition, using baked earth for warmth, texture and tonality
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Lavender Bay house opens towards the water, overlooking Sydney harbour
Lavender Bay house by Tobias Partners is an expansive family home overlooking Sydney harbour
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Mori House is an Australian beach escape fusing international design influences
Mornington Peninsula's Mori House by architect Manuel Aires Mateus is a striking fusion of Australian, Portuguese and Japanese design influences
By Stephen Crafti Published