24
Vision Magazine
A
weary duplex in Sydney’s sought after Manly
had a pair of fine, if severely compromised,
structures until their recent rescue. Fusing
these early 20th century terraces, architects Toby
Breakspear and Tomek Archer performed the
complex, highly convincing, renovation.
Rather than repeat the makeover as fashionable
fit-out, the designers opted for a new structural order
to produce a sequence of flowing, interlinked spaces.
No mean feat given the difficulty of merging two
houses.
There is a certain bravado and skill required to
transcend the populist ‘Fs’ of fixtures, fittings and
furnishings. This superficial idea of luxury shouldn’t
be confused with the supple muscularity of high-end
architecture. Directing funds towards major incisions
and cut-outs was the equivalent of heart surgery and
facelift rather than cosmetics alone.
Connected by a common wall, and functioning
as two separate houses, Breakspear and Archer
have created a strong, unified identity. While the
old provides a backbone of pleasing solidity and
decoration, the new contrasts slenderness to
facilitate the circulation of sunlight, air and most
significantly, people.
Precisely punched holes penetrate the envelope.
These aren’t the random variety, but carefully
targeted from the north-facing skylight to the
L-shaped upper window band that steers views
right across Manly to the Pacific Ocean.
The feel of the new is one of special precision,
from the folded steel staircase to the black-steelframed glazing rebated into the brickwork. Fully
function driven, windows and doors contribute to a
far more dynamic operability. These slide, pivot and
angle like yacht sails for finely tuned performance of
sunlight and breeze.
Engineered, motorised windows using
Viridian ComfortPlusTM create a seamless
modernity with the old.
Daylight Saving