2017 Gallery
Premier Award for Australian Interior Design
Smart Design Studio for Indigo Slam
A piece of sculpture to be lived in, this project in Sydney’s Chippendale creates an inspiring residence for an art collector. Behind a façade of sculpted concrete, serene living spaces and monumental halls create a dynamic spatial interplay of spare interiors in which the main decorative element is light.
Jury Citation
While this project stands head and shoulders above the other shortlisted entries in its category, it also does across the board. The client wanted “the best house in the world” and she arguably got it in the form of a sculpture to be lived in.
Indigo Slam is ambitious in scale, plan and gesture and its artisanal delivery is defined as much by a sense of thoughtful restraint as it is by immaculate detailing. The architect eschewed digital technology in favour of mechanical operation and this is expressed through an obvious high level of craftsmanship. Working with the client’s request for no curtains also gave rise to the design’s compelling use of light. As Indigo Slam’s key decorative element, it’s unmissable. It playfully splices the ceiling, austerely revealing every expertly handled curve and dramatically highlighting the grand three-storey staircase.
This project is a private residence, but also hosts events for the client’s art gallery, celebrating unconventional domesticity through dual functionality. Indigo Slam is a sophisticated and intelligently designed home and its place in the reactivation of its inner-city Sydney neighbourhood cannot be underestimated. The jury could not fault it in any way.
