Category Archives: Tours
Exposition: A Tour Of The ‘Paris+ Par Art Basel 2023’
Paris+ par Art Basel Paris 2023
A strong line-up of galleries from France was joined by exhibitors from across Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America, and the Middle East for a global showcase of the highest quality. Reaching beyond the Grand Palais Éphémère, the fair presented an active cultural program from morning to night, all week, and throughout the city, through a robust program of collaborations with Paris’s cultural institutions and its city-wide sector Sites.
Tours: 575 Wandsworth Road – Home Of Kenyan Poet Khadami Asalache
Following his death in 2006, Asalache left 575 Wandsworth Road to the National Trust, which was first opened to the public in 2013. Today, his home has become a source of inspiration for collaborators, creatives and artists of all ages, forging social connections within its community and beyond. Watch this video to discover the inspirational qualities of Khadambi Asalache’s creations at 575 Wandsworth Road.
Hear from three creative artists who recently returned to the house to reflect on their own connections to this place. They also discuss the impact it has on their own work and their thoughts around home and legacy.
Architecture: Art-Filled New Zealand Home Tour
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Art-Filled Home 00:48 – Designing A Legacy Project 01:37 – The Z-Shaped Layout of the Home 02:03 – A Nostalgic and Personal Brief 02:40 – A Walkthrough of the Home 04:38 – Building for Changes in Climate 04:57 – The Material Palette 05:32 – Incorporating Aspects from the Previous Homestead 06:12 – An Enduring Family Home
The expansive, single-storey, red-brick home references the original residence that was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, and is injected with art, nostalgia and childhood memories. Originally owned by the client’s parents, there was not much remaining of the original architecture, except for the gardens, which have been tendered to and reintegrated into the landscape.
As such, the client wanted a family home that would retain as much of the original house as possible, such as arched windows. Zed House receives its name from a distinct floor plan, which snakes around the site and forms the letter ‘Z’. Although the house is single storey, it boasts generous spaces, as seen in the house tour. Inside the art-filled home, one will find a deeply considered floor plan where a low-entrance front door contrasts with the vaulted ceiling within, which is close to four metres high, creating a sense of compression and release.
A juxtaposition between the casual arrangement of the kitchen, family and living rooms with the more formal dining and living area at the edge of the northern wing offers a dynamic balance inside an art-filled home. The sunken family room is relaxed and comfortable, whilst the other living area is more sophisticated, with green accents that echo the greenery of the natural surrounds. A gallery-like hallway with concrete walls houses the bedrooms and other smaller rooms.
Architecture: A Modern Garden Home In Sydney
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Garden Home 01:15 – The Layout and Walkthrough of the Home 03:02 – Landscaping Features 03:28 – Utilising Concrete Throughout 03:54 – Raw and Primal Materials 04:56 – Control of The Light 05:24 – Rewarding Aspects of the Design
Defined by a gradual reveal of interior spaces, Castlecrag Courtyard eloquently encapsulates slow living. Located on the ridge of Castlecrag, a harbourside suburb just north of Sydney’s CBD, Castlecrag Courtyard features a northerly aspect and a sloping site to the south. As such, the challenge of this project was about maximising sunlight and privacy whilst opening up to the 180-degree city and harbour views.
The garden home features a north-facing courtyard, which allows natural light to enter the interior living spaces whilst creating private external areas. The house tour reveals an architectural layout that encourages circular movement, meaning one is always met with changing views. The home is made up of three levels, and, upon arrival, one is met with a bush path before entering the ground floor, which contains the main living and kitchen areas.
Travel Guide: A One-Day Tour Of Vienna, Austria
Video timeline: 00:00 Intro 00:33 St. Stephens cathedral 01:02 Old Town 01:44 Hundertwasserhaus 02:31 Naschmarkt, eating Wiener Schnitzel 03:44 Meeting student Leonhard Pichler, why is Vienna so liveable? 05:04 Coffe house Demel 06:16 The Prater
Besides many more attractions, you’ll also discover why the Economist Group once again named Vienna the most livable city in the world. Which of Hannah’s stops in the video do you find most interesting?
Sustainability: ‘Immersion House’ Tour In Melbourne
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Breathtaking Sustainable Home 00:52 – An Inner-City Location 01:07 – Taking Inspiration from A Family Sanctuary 01:32 – The Seamless Indoor Outdoor Connection 01:54 – A Rich and Natural Material Palette 02:18 – Utilising the Versatile Tongue & Groove Boards 03:47 – Satisfying Aspects of the Design 04:18 – Proud Moments
Matsouri Architects defy the conditions of the corner block location through a series of unique and enveloping experiences. Located on a corner site that slopes gradually towards the back and in a quiet residential area in the inner-western suburb of Melbourne, Australia, Immersion House is a direct response to the client’s very strong brief to have a private sanctuary while retaining aspects of the original heritage home.
This brief was the inspiration behind Matsouri Architects’s architectural approach – creating experiences and spaces so the occupants could have a sanctuary to raise their family and live in the house they always envisaged. Inside the breathtaking sustainable home, the integration of interiors with the surrounding nature is key to the home’s immersive effect. On the first floor, one feels a sense of being perched above the street, implanting an almost subterranean feel. The connection between the indoors and the outdoors feels seamless and natural; there is a view towards nature from every part of the house and a strong sense of a singular indoor and outdoor space in the way that one almost doesn’t detect what is inside and what is outside when all the doors are folded back.
Similarly, a rich and natural materiality inside the breathtaking sustainable home becomes fundamental to creating this sense of sanctuary and immersion. The use of natural and textural materials such as concrete, timber and steel feel elementally connected to the surroundings. This minimal decor and palette have a quality that ties it all together and imbues the home with a sense of harmony and creates a space that feels all-enveloping. A key aspect of this raw materiality is the use of rich timber as a key material inside the breathtaking sustainable home.
Museum Exhibition Tour: ‘Manet/Degas’ At The Met
Manet/Degas
September 24, 2023–January 7, 2024
Born only two years apart, Manet (1832–1883) and Degas (1834–1917) were friends, rivals, and, at times, antagonists who worked to define modern painting in France. By examining their careers in parallel and presenting their work side by side, this exhibition investigates how their artistic objectives and approaches both overlapped and diverged. Through more than 160 paintings and works on paper, Manet/Degas takes a fresh look at the interactions of these two artists in the context of the family relationships, friendships, and intellectual circles that influenced their artistic and professional choices, deepening our understanding of a key moment in nineteenth-century French painting. On view: September 24, 2023–January 7, 2024
Mid-Century Modern: Merricks House Tour
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Mid-Century Modern House 00:45 – The Perks of Building Your Own Home 01:29 – A Rural Area 01:53 – A Simple Family Focused Brief 02:30 – A Walkthrough of the Home and the Elements 03:32 – Bringing the Outside In 04:04 – Compromising on Light 05:04 – Simple and Well-Thought Out Details 05:47 – Caring for the Landscape 06:39 – A Successful Outcome
Sitting on the edge of a forest, Aktis Architects works alongside the challenges presented by the site and a linear arrangement of spaces, creating an equally robust yet elegant farm home that connects and contrasts the quintessential Australian landscape it sits within. Built for the Director of Lexicon Constructions, the brief called for a mid-century modern family house that was linear in form and worked to encapsulate a strong sense of togetherness.
Approaching the mid-century modern home, one is met with a modest elevation composed of two raking roofs, each perched above a masonry box. A gravel driveway meanders through dense planting to arrive at a porte cochère lined with vertical timber cladding. The house tour reveals a linear arrangement of spaces inside, so the need for circulation areas and corridors is redundant. The concrete frame structure is defined by a geometric architecture, whilst circular windows contrast the geometry of the home and add a sense of playfulness.
Home Design: An Enclosed Courtyard In Australia
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Hidden Italian-Inspired Family Home 01:12 – A Very Desirable and Hidden Location 01:48 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:47 – Enabling The Space To Function As One 03:18 – The Customisation of The Vitrocsa Products 04:08 – A Reduced and Harmonised Material Palette 04:26 – Relating to Country Through Materials 05:40 – The Misconception of Minimalism 06:20 – Providing A Sense of Security and Privacy
Seemingly impenetrable, the raw, textural retreat the home provides is achieved through an innovative approach to materiality, light and space. Tucked away behind a river, the location of the hidden Italian-Inspired family home is one that is immediately desirable, set on a busy street with a strong suburban feel. The design responds directly to the bustling streetscape in the way that the architecture of the home draws on privacy – there is a visceral sense of security and solitude established from arrival.
Upon entering, one is met with a stark walkway with robust textural walls that frame the process of entering. This sets the scene for the earthiness one can expect from the rest of the home. At the end of the entrance is the main living space, which, in a moment of surprise, appears as a large empty void. The space extends to the kitchen and the courtyard and is transformable, eloquently merging the indoor and outdoor due to the intelligent Vitrocsa window systems.
The raw earthiness and connection to land that is felt throughout the hidden Italian-Inspired family home derives from a considered materiality and minimal furniture. There is a reduced spectrum of materials used, seeing a harmonised palette and muted tonality connect seamlessly. Timber and natural materials dominate the interior design, and there is a strong connection to the colours and textures of the Western Australian landscape, specifically the red sand of the outback.
Boomers Daily 