Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of more than 1.6 million. The city played a pivotal role during the American Revolution, when it provided a setting for the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Heritage greets contemporary with a warm embrace in one of Kennedy Nolan‘s latest residential projects — a restored and re-imagined substantial Edwardian house in Melbourne’s inner suburb of Elsternwick.
“This project was a great opportunity to deploy the principles of complete design embodied by the Arts and Crafts movement,” says founding director of Kennedy Nolan, Patrick Kennedy. “An integrated amalgam of architecture, interior design and furnishing, all of which were developed by our team.”
Masters of the layered yet measured, colourful yet calm, visually arresting yet comfortable and warm, this project takes things to a whole new level with its complex, multiple personalities that have been carefully threaded by the deft hands and sharp sensibilities of the Kennedy Nolan design team.
“The great strength of this project lies in its completeness,” says Patrick, and I simply couldn’t agree more. “It is an alterations and additions project, so there is old fabric and new fabric. However, the overall house feels singular in mood, scale and quality.”
This outcome, in part, resulted from the client’s specific request for something beautiful to look at wherever the eye landed. This compelled the design team to look at each element of the house both from a functional and an aesthetic approach. As a result, even the most mundane functions have been elevated into an art form.
One such visual highlight is the intricate record cabinet in the living room. Custom designed by Kennedy Nolan and made by Fineform joinery, the ‘Amazon depths’ Dulux green outer shell gains a whole new dimension when the top lifts open to reveal the record player and the inner lining of the lid covered in a rich red velour from Kvadrat. Gaaah!
The existing building fabric was well-preserved and beautifully realised, providing a rich source of inspiration for the design team. While the brief called for a complete approach to a substantial suite of existing and newly constructed rooms, more importantly — the client spoke of “emotions and atmospheres rather than specific spatial or visual qualities”, reminisces Patrick.
This house was to be a refuge that provided visual delight in every instance. “Our approach emerged through devising a colour palette, an intention to imbue the interiors with colour (as appropriate to an Arts and Crafts house), but to make the colour as gentle as possible, and to modulate its intensity through the various rooms and zones.”
Kennedy Nolan deploys texture as a means to amplify the subtleties of colour; silk is used as wallpaper; walls are lined in render rather than smooth plaster; fluted limed timber can be seen extensively throughout the interior.
“We were compelled to elevate the principal living spaces in order to maintain an appropriate visual hierarchy,” explains Patrick. “In some cases, this led to theatrical and elevated interiors which were nonetheless rigorously controlled to maintain serenity and calm. It is the combination of drama and calm which feels like the project’s greatest achievement.”
Farmland plains meet the Nebraska Sand Hills just north of Lexington, Nebraska. This unique region, which covers roughly 20,000 square miles (51,000 square km), contains mixed-grass prairies and grass-stabilized sand dunes. Average elevation here gradually increases from 1,800 feet (550 m) in the east to nearly 3,600 feet (1,100 m) in the west, as the sand hills approach the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
Golden Gate Park is a 1,017-acre (412-hectare) urban park located in San Francisco, California. Its rectangular shape makes it comparable to Central Park in New York City; however, it is 20 percent larger, measuring roughly 3 miles (4.8 km) east to west and half a mile (0.8 km) north to south. With 24 million annual visitors in a typical year, Golden Gate Park is the third most-visited city park in the United States.
Agricultural fields line the shores of the Itaipu Reservoir — a body of water that forms the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The area’s tropical climate makes it an ideal place to grow sugarcane, coffee, tea, and cotton.
Residential development is seen in Boca Raton, Florida, USA. Because many cities in the state contain master-planned communities, often built on top of waterways in the latter half of the twentieth century, there are a number of intricate designs that are visible from the Overview perspective. Boca Raton is home to roughly 91,000 residents.
Greater Tokyo, Japan, is one of the most populated and industrialized regions in the world. Encompassing several major cities, including Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama, it is home to more than 38 million people. The so-called “Capital Region” also has the largest metropolitan economy in the world, with a total gross domestic product (GDP) of about $1.8 trillion.
Istanbul Airport is the main international airport serving Istanbul, Turkey. It opened in fall of 2018 and took over all commercial passenger flights from Istanbul Atatürk Airport, which was not large enough to handle increasing passenger traffic. The airport’s main terminal, seen in the top half of this Overview, has an annual passenger capacity of 90 million and an area of 15.5 million square feet (1.44 million square meters) — making it the world’s largest airport terminal building under a single roof.
Agricultural fields line the shores of the Itaipu Reservoir — a body of water that forms the border between Brazil and Paraguay. The area’s tropical climate makes it an ideal place to grow sugarcane, coffee, tea, and cotton.
Inspired by the beauty and metaphorical significance of the island landscape, Studio MK27 has orchestrated a delicate, rhythmic design for the new resort Patina Maldives. Set amongst the Fari Islands archipelago in North Malé Atoll, the Capella Hotel Group project is a radical example of biophilic design, conjuring up spaces and atmospheres that encourage deep connections with nature.
Delicate architectural lines remain respectfully low, never breaching the horizon, in deference to the exuberant, encompassing blues above and below. Verdant landscaping envelops each of Patina Maldives’ 90 contemporary one-to three-bedroom villas, unfolding invitingly into the surrounding island life.
“Patina is unique in the Maldives: an opportunity to be together in isolation. One of the most remote places on Earth and still a place designed for people to meet one another,” explains lead architect Marcio Kogan. “Patina Maldives embraces our natural conflicts: desire for peace and party, for nature and design, technology and rusticity, self-indulgence and deep reflections.”
Kogan’s design vision is reflected throughout the resorts accommodation, restaurants and social buildings. Public spaces are open, light and inviting acting as a communal beating heart to the expansive compound. A large commissioned James Turrell pavilion mingles effortlessly with a bevy of retail and dining options. The permeable design of the island’s buildings, organised according to a hierarchy of textures and coverings create a gentle transition between open and closed spaces.
Throughout the interiors, earthy colour palettes, subtle textures and matte surfaces are complemented by arcadian materials to create a dialogue with nature. Wood, linen, rattan, paper cord, stone and natural fibres extend out from the interiors, blurring boundaries, drawing the outside world in whilst enticing inhabitants out. Uniquely for the Maldives, a floor to ceiling panorama sliding window system allows the villas to be opened to the elements on all three sides – while custom-made blackout blinds offer cocoon-like cosiness at the touch of a button.
Skyspace Amarta by James Turrell.
Millwork furniture customised by Studio MK27 exclusively for Patina Maldives incorporates subtle practical and aesthetic design features that elevate the in-room experience from bed frames with integrated control panels to concealed device charging compartments. Carefully selected pieces from the world’s leading furniture designers imbue the spaces with individuality and luxury — from Bassam Fellows, Lin Brasil, Gervasoni and Vitra indoors; to Dedon, Carlos Motta, and Paola Lenti outdoors. Further drama is added by unique features including monolithic standalone twin vanities made from Nero Marquina marble and basins hewn from a single block of stone, offset by bespoke Italian porcelain tiles and al fresco free-standing double bathtubs.
Created to appeal to an audience looking for immersive, experience-led travel, Patina is inspired by independent minds with a deep appreciation of nature and community and unwavering devotion to the wellbeing of the planet. The resort encourages guests to nurture genuine connections with themselves and the world around them. Human-centred design ensures that spaces flow with guests’ natural modes, gently and intuitively anticipating and providing for each individual’s needs so that no two stays are the same.