German-born architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe rose to fame in the first half of the 20th century for his pared-back, “less is more” approach to designing buildings; something seldom explored at the time yet so ubiquitous today. The architect’s Barcelona Pavilion has been regarded as one of the most significant modernist buildings on account of its structural integrity and robust material palette, rendering it a major source of inspiration for contemporary architects.
Melbourne-based architecture firm
The Brief
The family had lived in the house for five years before Kennedy Nolan intervened, during which it had grown to be impractical and obsolete in many areas. Conceptually, the project was grounded in the elevation of the existing home from a planning perspective, mainly; and in the merging of mid-century and modernist styles to create a fresh yet familiar aesthetic.
“We find it useful to look at projects like these as a series of problems to be solved, or better yet, optimisations to be achieved,” Patrick Kennedy says. In this case, the home’s modernist interiors were not depicted in the best light; an inevitable result, Patrick says, of incremental change “eroding” their original intent. He also notes the exterior did not match up to the elegant interiors, and the garden felt estranged from both.
The Layout
The process of reviving Matthews House began with reconfiguration. “Reordering the spaces became necessary to ensure all levels of the house were functional and inviting,” Kennedy Nolan director of architecture Adriana Hanna says. “We saw our principal job as making sense of the house as a single entity.” Existing spaces were edited to reinstate their utility; a new kitchen and new bathrooms were added; the exterior was re-pitched to the street (this time stronger and clearer); connection to the garden was prioritised. Patrick refers to these interventions as “reinforcing the layered functions of the house to elevate the experience of living.”
The Palette
Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion is shaped by a large-scale travertine platform with dark caramel and deep-green coloured stone walls. Comparably, Matthews House consists of Classico raw travertine floors, warm walnut joinery and Verde Alpi stone, with the addition of dusty rose carpet and blush-pink marble. Adriana notes that these materials were chosen not just for their likeness to the iconic 20th-century building, but also for their longevity and robustness.
Each material in Matthews House culminates in an arresting landscape of colour and texture, complete with twists and turns and of course, countless sources of nostalgia.
The post