PROJECTS

Central Park West

DETAILS

Arch / Design:		Smart Design Studio (web)
Type:		Residential
Year:		2010
Location:		Sydney
Photographer:		Sharyn Cairns (web)

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PROJECTS BY ARCHITECT SMART DESIGN STUDIO

PROJECTS PHOTOGRAPHED BY SHARYN CAIRNS

On the other hand, Smart’s ‘high speed luxury’ is a response to the brief, which called for a luxurious interior for a compact space. “It left us thinking, ‘What is compact and luxurious?’ and we realised that sports cars and yachts and all those things celebrate being compact and small, and do it in a very luxurious and happy way.”

The interior is, in fact, beautifully refined and has the slick aesthetic and the ambient serenity of a Kubrickian futurist vision. The interiors take their mark from classic cars such as the Fiat and Mercedes, and it is here that Smart’s vision works in harmony with Takada’s. Neither has erred on the side of fashion, preferring the staples of classic design to hallmark their work. And, it works.

The orange (Dulux Orangeade PO8F8 full gloss 80 percent polyurethane) of the curving modular wall is soft and harmonious with the Russian Toffee walls, while simultaneously zappy and sharp against the oversized glass floor tiles in stark white. The study is, essentially, a tube.

The curving wall, however, adds exponentially to the space, as it expands and contracts within the limited hall length. The centrally located bathroom belies the spatial constraints through cleverly arranged elements of luxury. The striated timber shelves (New Age Veneers 2 Ebony Straight) and vinyl panelling, coupled with the expanding element of mirrors, add a profusion of richness without cluttering or burdening the space. It is, in fact, exceptionally handsome.

It’s also safe to say that the interiors of both Takada and Smart will be as beautiful on completion as they are in display. More importantly, however, neither will be boring. By interpreting the architectural elements through classic design – within the aesthetic of their separate oeuvres – each has created a unique position. Granted, it is a position realised through high-quality materials and the imprimatur of both the designers and architects.

Nonetheless, the very fact that both Takada and Smart have evolved their vision as a dialogue with the architecture speaks volumes for the project’s potential and longevity and, perhaps with that very intent, does much to assuage the jitters of a three-year wait.