and lift that both access the two floors above.”
The next level is dedicated to the owners’
children, and contains three bedrooms, a large
rumpus room, the laundry, and a self-contained
maid’s suite. Above that, the topmost floor is
effectively a one-bedroom, glass-fronted house,
with huge indoor and outdoor living areas, and
an even more expansive view.
This upper level is visually much lighter
than the floors below, which give it the effect of
floating in the sky above Queenstown. The large
eaves that extend out from the pavilion reflect
and accentuate the layered nature of the design.
“Overall, it’s a planar design, with enormous
concrete floor plates, supported by stone-clad
concrete walls and chimneys that break through
the floors, creating an extremely forceful com-
position,” says Whitaker. “The top floor is a
steel and glass pavilion – again punctuated by
the schist columns – with a pop-up roof. The
raised roof contributes to a high four-metre stud
in this area and admits more light thanks to the
clerestory windows directly underneath it.”
For the home’s interiors, the owner engaged
Di Henshall, a specialist interior designer whom
he’d worked with on three previous projects.
Above: A feature timber ceiling,
wood-finished walls and wood
floors, together with the stone
fireplace, all connect with
Queenstown’s pristine natural
environment. The combined living
and dining environment is formed
beneath a raised roof section that
the architect says enhances the light,
airy, and uplifting quality of
the space.
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