The Stanhill is a landmark post-war apartment building designed by the celebrated modernist Frederick Romberg. The apartments are characterised by open, cellular planning with abundant natural light entering from two or three sides of each dwelling. The brief for Architecture Architecture was to design an entirely new fitout on a very lean budget and with a minimalist aesthetic.
Beyond providing comfortable amenity for the new tenants, the design introduces a single black band that runs throughout the apartment. Comprised of joinery, door frames, kitchen thresholds and skirting boards, its purpose is to draw attention to the masterfully fluid spatial planning as designed by the original architect.
At key moments in the design, the otherwise mute black and white aesthetic breaks in a flourish of barely perceptible colour, imbuing the apartment with a sense of quiet mystery.