Domain Park Flats
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The Domain Park Flats were designed by Robin Boyd in 1959, and constructed between 1960-62. It is located on Domain Road, South Yarra, Victoria, Australia. It is Boyd's most visible work in Melbourne. Situated accross from the Royal Botanical Gardens, it set a precedent for park-front high rise housing blocks in Melbourne. For almost a decade after its completion, it remained the only one of its kind.
Description
Domain Park Flats was built as an "own-your-own" block of "Luxury" flats. The total area of the site is 25 000 sq ft with the overall building dimensions 159ft x 30ft x 200ft high, plus balconies (total area of building 107 600 sq ft). Each floor contains a variety of 2,3,and 4 bedroom units. The variety of the flats is expressed by the free distribution of windows and balconies on the exterior, particularly on the north facing elevation. Each flat, and its rooms, were positioned on the flat-slab so that all of its occupants could embrace the northern facing view. The lift towers to the south side contain the lifts, fire stairs, air conditioning plants and are separate from the floor slab to minimise noise in the living spaces. The main building material is concrete, with the external walls faced with Selkirk manganese bricks, steel deck on the roof and aluminium for the windows. The internal walls were finished in cast plaster, the floors in carpet and tiles, and the ceilings in plaster and Pyrok with all the internal joineries finished in flat-polished walnut. The building services comprise of separate electric quick-recovery units for the water heating and fan coil air conditioning (this was the first high-rise housing unit block in Melbourne to use air conditioning). The basement garage extends over most of the site, with additional parking on its roof, most of the flats have access to one open and one covered car space. Boyd prepared four colour schemes for each of the flat-buyers' to select from. The north facade shows the glazed balconies, recessed bays and the leading edge of the floor slab, with the southern facade bearing the lift towers and service balconies.
Key Influences, Design and Construction
Key Influences
Boyd’s influences for this project came from his interest in Walter Gropius and TAC’s Interbau Housing(Berlin, 1957), Japanese Metabolist ideals of living spaces being used as stacking trays, and Paul Rudolph’s concern for spacial platforms. Boyd viewed the residential tower block as the solution to the ever increasing concentration of population near city centres. He also interpreted the style of 'Australian Architecture' from a modernist perspective. Thus, designs should be clean, simple,without added ornament,honest use of materials, and a box like simplicity which expresses its function.
Design approach
Client’s requirements
The initial criteria set out by the client, Land Lease Development PTY LTD, along with their contractors, Civil and Civic, was to have the maximum number of residential units possible under the Uniform Building Regulations. The design was to take advantage of new planning and building height laws.*Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).[1]
- ^ Serle, Geoffrey (1995). Robin Boyd: A Life. Carlton South, VIC: Miegunyah Press. pp. 196, 198, 264–265.
- ^ "Domain Park". Architecture in Australia. 53 (1): 149–151. 1964.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Tibbits, George (1992). "Robin Boyd and the Interpretation of Australian Architecture". Transition (38): 48.