Indigo Slam - Smart Design Studio

A piece of sculpture to be lived in. Fronting Central Park in Sydney’s Chippendale, Indigo Slam is an inspiring residence for an art collector. The design process started by establishing a language of cutting, folding and stitching that would inform all aspects of the home. This concept was instrumental in forming the three-dimensional elements throughout. As evident across different scales, from big folds of concrete to the finest handrail details, it unifies all elements of the building and defines its character.

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Dimensionally extrapolating this concept, the striking concrete façade is alive to the changes wrought by light, shade, sun and cloud, providing the urban park across the road with a lively backdrop to public life. Behind the sculpted exterior, serene living spaces and monumental halls create a dynamic interplay of aesthetic interiors where the main decorative element is light.

On arrival, a Coreton steel screen opens to lead the visitor into a generous coved vestibule. From here, the space compresses to a low and narrow corridor before suddenly opening to a cavernous stair hall. Lit by concealed roof lights, this room is a space unique in Australian residential architecture – grand and austere in its size and sparseness, yet inviting as it leads upwards and into the building.

On the second floor, sitting and dining rooms overlook the park. A skylit kitchen and study look back into the building, creating views across the stair hall. Spaces are large but not ostentatious. Internal finishes are modest and pared-back: floors are brick paved, walls are set render, fittings are simple.

The brief was for Indigo Slam to last 100 years. As such, materials and fittings were selected to endure, and operable elements are mechanical rather than digital. These include vertical timber blinds and awning windows operated by geared winders. Moreover, the brass armatures of these moving parts lend finely grained detail to the steel, glass and concrete of the building façade.

The project aspires to an exemplary level of environmentally sustainable design with natural lighting, cross-ventilation, rainwater harvesting and adherence to passive solar design principles that reduce the energy and water load of the building. Geothermal heating and cooling have also been incorporated into the design and photovoltaic cells populate the roof.

Indigo Slam represents a rare opportunity to include a large residence of substantial quality and architectural merit in the diverse neighbourhood of Chippendale. It challenges convention and sets new parameters for participating in the reinvigoration of this part of Sydney as a place of architectural and cultural interest.

2017 AIA Emil Sodersten Award for Interior Architecture (National)

2017 AIA NSW Architecture Award for Interior Architecture (NSW)

2017 Sydney Design Awards Gold for Architecture Residential Constructed

2017 Sydney Design Awards Silver for Interior Design Residential

2017 Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Award of Excellence (NSW)

2017 INDE Award for The Building (Asia Pacific)

2017 INDE Award for The Best of the Best (Asia Pacific)

2017 Australian Interior Design Awards – Premier Award for Australian Interior Design (National)

2017 Australian Interior Design Awards – Residential Best of State (NSW)

2017 Australian Interior Design Awards – Residential Design (National)

2017 Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards – Best Residential (National)

2017 Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards – Best Kitchen (National)