An Eclectic Collage: King Bill House in Fitzroy
Foto: Derek Swalwell
The house on King William Street is the result of the renovation and expansion of a two-storey row house, built around 1850, that now includes an adjacent garden. The old house and garden to its east were originally two separate lots that have been brought together in the housescape planned by Austin Maynard Architects.
A family of four commissioned Austin Maynard with the design for a “forever house”. They wanted not only more living space, but also a spacious garden. In the planning, the architects were inspired by the wonderfully eclectic environment of Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne: the brick buildings and holiday homes that stand directly next to simple postwar structures, warehouses, factory buildings and tin huts.
King Bill House is a tribute to this unique diversity. However, it creates an impression that is neither nostalgic nor an ironic form of commentary. Austin Maynard describe their design as a “love letter to Fitzroy”. The area’s structural disorder has been translated into a built story, a compelling arrangement of textures, materials and shapes.
A family of four commissioned Austin Maynard with the design for a “forever house”. They wanted not only more living space, but also a spacious garden. In the planning, the architects were inspired by the wonderfully eclectic environment of Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne: the brick buildings and holiday homes that stand directly next to simple postwar structures, warehouses, factory buildings and tin huts.
King Bill House is a tribute to this unique diversity. However, it creates an impression that is neither nostalgic nor an ironic form of commentary. Austin Maynard describe their design as a “love letter to Fitzroy”. The area’s structural disorder has been translated into a built story, a compelling arrangement of textures, materials and shapes.
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