Rave venue to Wabi-sabi: Imperfect makeover for trendy Surry Hills pad
The Japanese call it Wabi-sabi, the art of imperfection. Architect Oliver Du Puy has perfected a touch of that sensibility in a gutted apartment in Sydney's trendy Surry Hills.
'There's beauty in imperfections that creates a sense of timelessness,' says Du Puy, pointing out some of the finishes, such as the micro cement, in the walls of the two-bedroom pad. Having worked in Japan, Du Puy acknowledges his views are shaped by architect Kazuo Shinohara, who declared 'a house is a work of art'.
Set across an entire 220 square metre level, the residence sits below the award-winning Droga apartment, a sinuous structure clad in aluminium tiles designed by Durbach Block Jaggers and completed in 1997 that is now considered a landmark in the hood.
Du Puy's footprint, occupying the early 20th-century building below, is far more recessive, with steel-framed windows set into the brown bricks. 'The building itself has a colourful history, including being used as a squat for a number of years and, from what I'm told, this apartment was scene to a number of rave parties,' says Du Puy.
Before being gutted, the space was used by a creative agency which carved up the original detailing and internal areas with a series of partitions.
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False ceilings concealed the chunky concrete beams and the octagonal 700-millimetre-wide concrete columns, masked in plaster, thought to be the work of the eminent civil engineer Sir John Monash, were discovered in the renovation.
'I've always been drawn to the pure elements in a space,' says Du Puy, keen to express the structure rather than add superfluous detail. Hence, the original 100-year-old jarrah floors were simply buffed and the structure, columns and beams were cleaned up and the graffiti removed.
The kitchen is discreetly located to one side of the open-plan dining and living area, with a Calacatta marble island bench thoughtfully positioned between two octagonal columns. A bank of stainless-steel joinery, including a splashback, further allows the structure of the interior to be expressed – concealing everything from the fridge and pantry to the wine fridge.
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