Almora
On the land of the Borogegal people.
Almora is a complete refit of an existing 1990’s top floor apartment with beautiful light and extraordinary view to the North over Middle Harbour. Despite its location, the original apartment was poorly built and cheaply finished. The plan was an unusual shape with numerous oblique angles. The spaces were all internally focussed and dark.
The fitout focusses on a rationalisation of the plan, and creation of clear connections between the interior and its wonderful locality.
The use of timber in many forms is integral to this strategy. There was no way this could have been conceived in any other material. Internal surfaces are almost entirely lined in timber.
Most notably there is extensive built in blackbutt veneered joinery around the edges of the spaces forming seating and shelving in a method reminiscent of a boat cabin. Corridors are all lined in vertical profiled blackbutt battens to provide a tactile element within a formerly stark interior. Floors are all parquetry in response to the angular plan.
Light is brought deep into the plan and bounces warmly of the new interior surfaces in the day and night, providing a joyful counterpoint to the cold hard surfaces on the exterior of the building.
Project Team : Matt Elkan, Daina Cunningham, Hayley Skelton, Arash Katrak, Gill Gan, Claudia Cunningham
Builder : DCB
Structural Engineer : PMI Engineers
Hydraulic Engineer : ACOR - Grant Potter
Lighting : Tovo
Photographs : Clinton Weaver
