Three by three

High-rise apartment blocks are usually static buildings what you see doesn't vary from day to day.

The new Trio apartment building in Sydney, developed by Frasers Property, is just the opposite. Fender Katsalidis Architects has designed three interconnected buildings with ever-changing facades.

Architect Karl Fender says each of the 397 apartments has a loggia with adjustable louvre screens that can be moved, opened and closed as required.

"Trio was designed to be dynamic every day there will be a different look to the building," he says. "The collage facade will be constantly and subtly shifting as the screens and louvres are opened and closed. And at night, the building will have a magical lantern quality, making it a beacon in this rapidly evolving area of Camperdown."

Fender says the loggias are just one aspect of the design that helps to give the building a residential feel. Breaking down the building mass into three blocks also provides a sense of community. And the material palette helps create individuality residents can readily identify which part of the building is theirs.

This has been achieved by the materials, including anodised metal in custom colours, and copper-hued concrete, and by layered framing devices.

"The building is perceived as a strong piece of sculpture," says Fender. "It becomes an exercise in large-scale urban graphics. With the concrete, for example, the aim was to take a durable material and, through detail, texture and colour, turn it into a recognisable art form."

Fender says this concept is taken a step further with the vertical fins on the outside of the apartments, which are a reference to the buttresses on a Gothic cathedral.

Great attention has also been paid to landscaping. Each of Trio's entrances is reached by a path lined with a wall of Sydney sandstone, which was quarried on site. Reflecting pools in the garden run under the glazing to the lobbies to create seamless, but secure indoor-outdoor spaces.

In launching the completed project, Frasers Property invited several interior designers to fit out show apartments. All of the designs emphasise the role of the loggia as an extension of the living space.

The apartment interior featured on these pages was designed by Jodie Kingman of Coco Republic.

Kingman says the team initially envisaged a design for a well-travelled apartment owner. The idea was gradually refined and the interior ultimately designed for a fictional Conde Nast travel writer.

"The apartment highlights the bits and pieces such a person would have collected over the years. For example, there are baskets, suitcases, Chinese antiques and different throws a little bit of Africa with the zebra rug and framed black-and-white photos."

Although the kitchen and flooring were already in place, the design team had free rein with the wallcoverings. Kingman says her team chose to provide two textured sisal walls for the living area.

"Typically, these walls can be rather flat and bland. The textured sisal lifts the space visually, and is a foil for the art and accessories. This particular sisal has a red and black base, which ties in with other red and black accents."

To capture an exotic tribal theme for the loggia, Kingman chose large Suzani scatter cushions, a birdcage and decorative cane chairs from Feelgood Design.

The apartment interior shown on these pages was designed by Senija Lukacevic of Focus Design.

"Glamour was the theme for the design of this two-bedroom apartment," she says. "And the starting point was the glittering chandelier, which we wanted to be a focus of the living area. This determined the position of the dining table, and subsequently the placement of the leather sofa and chairs."

Lukacevic says the burnt Sienna colour of the kitchen splashback also helped define the colour selection.

"This is a somewhat retro colour, so we opted for complementary chocolate shades, then introduced beige with just a hint of orange as an accent. It was important to keep the look very sophisticated."

A large, bevelled-edge mirror adds another touch of glamour, and helps reflect the spectacular city views.

Finishes and materials in the bedrooms continue the theme. The guest bedroom, for example, features silk wallhangings behind the bed.

The designer opted for a more casual look on the loggia, however. The outdoor room features an upholstered woven wicker sofa and matching chairs, as well as a small teak table and dining chairs.

For the apartment on the following pages, interior designer Natasha Golding of Imago Interiors worked to a cool, contemporary design brief.

"We took inspiration from the white kitchen and brown-toned carpet," she says. "The white furniture and grey accent walls play off both these fixtures. Although they can't be seen in this image, we introduced several large mirrors to give the space depth."

The lively, reflective feel of the interior is reinforced by the extensive use of chrome and glass furniture, pendant lighting and whimsical elements, such as the Coconut chairs, which are light enough to be moved onto the loggia.

To draw the eye out toward the loggia and the view, the dining table was positioned parallel to the side walls.

"This helps to accentuate the length of the living space and doesn't block the line of sight from the front door," says Golding.

Other key features include a sculptural floor lamp and a textural rug featuring a subtle pattern in silk.

Story by: Colleen Hawkes

Photography by: Jamie Cobeldick