Clara, South Yarra, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Elenberg Fraser Architects

Residential Project
Planning Current, 2009
Apartments proposed completion 2011
Client: R Corporation


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Architect’s Statement

Clara, South Yarra makes the connection between the landscape and the built form, with an emphasis on environment through the use of systematic compositions. Clara, South Yarra is about ‘place’. It is the development of an ‘environment’ that harmonises built form with landscape, that respects the scale and diversity of the surround, and pays tribute to the hidden garden.
The residential tower is grounded by a 3 storey patterned monolithic concrete base with an articulated façade consisting of carefully positioned openings, linking the tower to the landscaped environment. The entry is characterized by a 2 storey garden wall extending from inside to outside, physically merging the tower into the parkland, where planters and screens are integrated into the façade fabric to provide an organic veil to the building.
Perforated metal fins provide a vertical extension of the tower with mixed light and dark glazing providing a visual relief, reducing the building to a series of elements, rather than one solid object.
The interior spaces are designed as polished insertions amongst the surrounding green jungle.
Joinery elements such as the kitchen and bedrooms are designed as refined objects within the space.
The use of glamourous materials are specifically selected to embrace the sophistication of the area.
The foyer is designed as the transition between the outside environment and the polished interior, incorporating green walls and a ‘secret garden’ gateway from the apartments.



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Clara, South Yarra Building : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt