VISION 41 — BLACK BEAUTY
For this architect it was an opportunity to visually layer
the project while connecting with the neighborhood and
busy Buckley Street in particular. John Demos guided
Peter Hyatt through the evolution of a mini-max tower
where performance glazing guides the eye towards
building-as-diagram.
VISION What did you aspire to create with
this development?
JOHN DEMOS A very efficient use of the allotment.
The building stands head and shoulders above its
neighbours. There was no mandatory height control
so we pushed it to the limit by firstly maximising the
car parking capacity of the site at the requisite ratio
of cars to units which in turn translated to a six-storey,
28 apartment building, well above the prevailing
three to four storey context.
What about the other qualities you look for
such as experience of place?
Vertical circulation elements like the lift and
particularly the stair, are expressed overtly to promote
an understanding of how the building works. So in this
case, stair and lift are juxtaposed and with a common
glazed foyer and landings results in an atrium form that
extends up the building. This creates a dominant central
element in the building’s composition emphasised by a
strong pattern of th