King & Phillip Residences, interiors
Sydney, Gadigal Country
Between city and park
King & Phillip Residences sits where the city meets Hyde Park, at the edge of Sydney’s colonial precinct, beside Hyde Park Barracks, St James’ Church and the Supreme Court. fjcstudio designed the architecture and interiors together. The interiors defer to the classical order of these neighbours and introduce an organic language that begins to acknowledge Country.
A canopy of leaves
A colonnaded loggia off King Street leads into the residents’ foyer. Curved timber panels shaped like leaves run from deep inside the foyer out across the loggia ceiling, and their ribbed, radial joints trace the veins of a eucalyptus leaf. Interlocking and offset, they form a vaulted canopy within the rectilinear frame of classical architecture.
An endless forest hall
The foyer covers only 76 sqm. Tasmanian oak panelling sets a datum for the stained hoop pine vaults above, and brass inlays add a horizontal rhythm. Mirrors above the panelling extend the vaults into an endless forest hall, so the smallest space reads as the most expansive. A gentle curve eases the turn into the lift lobby.
Stone, metal and leather
Beneath the vaults, a green marble wall and a dark metal frame hold the concierge desk and mailboxes. A leather seat splays out from the panelling, both bench and sculpture. The lift car continues the leaf ceiling, timber panelling and mirrors, carrying the foyer’s warmth and sense of depth up through the building to every residential floor.
Dappled light
Daylight fills the apartments and brings out the natural colours of stone and timber, and their character shifts with the hour and the season. Perforated facade screens provide privacy and ventilation while filtering the sun. They cast dappled patterns across floors and walls as it moves around the building, much as light falls through the trees of the park below.
Echoes of the precinct
The apartments reinterpret the curves, lines and materials of the neighbouring heritage buildings in contemporary form, using Australian materials. Bronze tones carry the warmth of the exterior inside. Three palettes, drawn from the heritage buildings and the park, combine Australian timber veneers with natural marbles and quartzites, balanced by the classical proportions of the Golden Mean.
Curve against line
In a single apartment, glossy eucalyptus burl and satin brushbox veneers sit alongside Stella Ivory and Taj Mahal quartzite. The curved kitchen island, set against rectilinear joinery, shows the play of soft curves against straight lines that runs through the interiors. Layers of lighting and texture bring out the grain of the timber and the depth of the stone.
A perfect circle
In the bathrooms, oversized stone panels line the walls and show qualities only natural materials can bring. A large circular mirror forms the focus of each room, and continuous lighting set behind it makes it appear to float. The palette stays restrained, letting stone, light and reflection shape a calm and quiet retreat.
Integrated Cultural Artworks
‘Eora’ Façade and square artwork by Jacob Nash
Explore the architecture of King & Phillip Residences.
Awards
| 2023 | Australian Institute of Architects (NSW Chapter) | Residential Architecture, Multiple Housing, shortlist | |
| 2022 | World Architecture Festival | Completed Buildings: Housing, shortlist | |
Press
| 27 Jul 2023 | Apartments.com.au | Honouring tradition with timeless architecture: Inside King & Phillip | |
| 17 Jun 2023 | ArchDaily | King and Phillip Residences Entrances / fjcstudio | |
| 16 Jun 2023 | gooood | King and Phillip Residences by fjcstudio | |
| 1 Oct 2021 | Domain | ‘Not a typical modern development’: King & Phillip pays homage to Sydney’s heritage | |
