In one of Melbourne’s oldest neighbourhoods, a house has been built that differs significantly from traditional notions of residential architecture. Towers Road House is the work of the Wood Marsh studio. The building is an original space where everyday life meets the idea of contemporary art. The project is a response to the shared belief of the investors and architects that art has the power to enrich life and bring deeper meaning to everyday life.
Home and art in space
The body of the building is shaped like a sculpture wrapping around the sloping plot. Its form is reminiscent of Christo’s ‘Running Fence’ installation, bringing an element of conceptual art to the quiet Toorak neighbourhood. The curtain-like concrete wall creates the undulating lines of the garden, replacing the classic fence and opening up the greenery towards the street. In this way, the boundaries between public and private are blurred, and residents simultaneously gain a secluded interior space with access to the garden.
Concrete, glass and greenery in architecture
The house is isolated from the street and has no traditional windows on the street side. The entrance leads through a winding pathway, impressive concrete walls and gardens surrounding a lowered entrance in the shape of a spherical portico. A small door leads visitors into a double-height corridor, whose austere concrete surface heightens the impression of monumentality of the entire block. A contrast to this austerity of form is provided by the fully glazed north elevation. It fills the interior with light and opens up onto the garden and a 150-year-old plane tree.
Towers Road House as a living and art space
The functions of the house have been distributed between its different floors. The ground floor houses living spaces and art galleries. The focal point is the lowered circular living room, which harks back to the traditional family gathering place by the fireplace. It is accessed by a spiral staircase that wraps around a concrete wall. The first floor features private areas, separated into a parent and child area. In the basement, however, additional rooms were planned for the gallery, a wine cellar and a garage.
The garden as part of the house
In the shade of an old plane tree, there is a spacious terrace connected to the pool and pool pavilion. The whole is sheltered by dense vegetation on the plot boundary, providing complete privacy for the residents. Additional pockets of greenery have been created in the niches created by the concave walls, allowing the lush vegetation to be viewed from almost anywhere inside the house.
Towers Road House – a sculptural vision of everyday life
Towers Road House stands out from traditional Toorak developments with its bold architectural language. The house acts as a private retreat while becoming a manifesto for contemporary Australian art and architecture. It is a space that combines everyday life and the experience of interacting with art, reflecting the ambitions and passions of its owners.
Architect: Wood Marsh
Photography: John Gollings and Peter Bennetts
Also read: single-family house | Concrete | Australia | Architecture | Modernism
