Kister Architects

Dior Melbourne spring Summer 2022 collection

Our exclusive look into the invite-only Dior event in the heart of Melbourne.

A POP-UP that really pops. Dior has Dior-ified a converted church on the snug end of Collingwood in Melbourne. The Maison has moved in for the next five days, curating an immersive, invite-only client experience celebrating the colour and artistry of its ’60s-inspired Spring/Summer 2022 women’s ready-to-wear collection.

If it seems Sydney always gets the good end of the pop-up gems, Melbourne, this is your treat. The pop-up is a first for the city, an invitation for the Maison’s loyal and ever-expanding client base to engage with its products, narratives and creative vision beyond the boutique. A converted church, Courtyard House, in the heart of Collingwood and a luxury French fashion house is perhaps an unexpected pairing, but one that works, right down to the space’s cinematic blend of heritage and modern architecture creating the perfect atmosphere for revelling in Dior’s Spring/Summer 2022 women’s ready-to-wear collection.

The journey into Dior’s ‘dreamworld’ begins through an inconspicuous facade, the kind even locals would miss on their morning coffee run. Inside, guests are greeted by a resplendent colour-block hit as part of a bold and signature Dior welcome; garments in a tantalising palette of yellows, greens, oranges and raspberry are curated in what was once the main church hall.

Revisiting the shapes and contours of the early 1960s, Dior’s Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri reflects on Marc Bohan’s time at the Maison’s helm, with a particular focus on the Slim Look Collection. Embroidery and embellishments are contrasted against mod-fun fabrications like scuba and nylon cut in boxy silhouettes. The dare-you-to-look-away colour palette evokes spatial geometries observed in games created by artist Anna Paparatti, a homage to the universal spirit of playfulness and possibility conjured when art imitates life. The eye darts from a raspberry Lady Dior handbag, to a jewel-green evening gown that begs to be tried on in the space’s pristine, custom-built change rooms.

If the immersion in colour and abundance of textures weren’t enough joy for your senses, there’s a Dior Cafe too…two words that always mean you’re in for a delectable experience.

Take a moment, take a seat, and absorb it all at the Dior Cafe. This intimate, light-filled space invites you to snack (on a Yuzu matcha green tea financier)…and sip (on Veuve Clicquot, of course) at your leisure, a petit urban oasis with lap-pool and manicured courtyard views.

Dior does what Dior does. The Maison’s latest Melbourne pop-up is yet another expression of its deeply immersive — even cinematic — approach to sharing the artful spirit and intricate narratives behind its collections with clients all over the world. Especially in Melbourne.

CONSEILSDECO

UNE ANCIENNE ÉGLISE TRANSFORMÉE EN MAISON DE RÊVE

September , 2020

Courtyard House and Church by Kister Architects

https://conseilsdeco.net/2020/09/10/une-ancienne-eglise-transformee-en-maison-de-reve/

September 8, 2020

Courtyard House and Church by Kister Architects

https://homeadore.com/2020/09/08/courtyard-house-and-church-by-kister-architects/

PUBLISHED 9 OCTOBER, 2019

PHOTOGRAPHY MIKE BAKER

Kister Architects’ Church Space and Courtyard House, a former Anglican church transformed into a sculptural contemporary home in Collingwood, is the site of a remarkable collaboration that brings together the work of leading local designers for iconic Australian brand Nau, together with stylist Heather Nette King and photographer Mike Baker.

The shoot is a true testament to local design on every level – an intention that informed Heather Nette King’s approach from the outset. In searching for a location, she explains that the underlying driver in the location search was the “design ethos behind Nau as a brand, and the idea of time, and timelessness. Nau is a contemporary brand, uniquely Australian but international in outlook.” As a bluestone Gothic revival church juxtaposed with a highly contemporary addition, the Kister Architects Church Space and Courtyard house exemplifies this sense of time, speaking to the past of Collingwood as a suburb with a rich history, while also epitomising a contemporary sensibility.

Another layer is added to this thread of local history throughout the project with the dramatic circular courtyard, which defines the contemporary intervention, paying homage to celebrated Australian architect Roy Grounds’s seminal Hill Street House in Toorak. Furthermore, Heather says, the church’s former life as both an Anglican church and a Russian Orthodox place of worship suggested “the idea of melding European heritage with something fresh and Australian.” In this way, the Courtyard House and Church Space is an architectural response to many of the same ideas and forces that came together in the Nau shoot collaboration.

Most importantly, the shoot highlights the shared design language expressed in both the architecture and the 2019 Nau design releases by Adam Goodrum, Kate Stokes, Adam Cornish, Tom Fereday and Zachary Hanna. Architect Ilana Kister, who not only designed the house but lived there for a time with her family, reflects on how the Nau designs both complement and contrast with elements of the architecture and interiors, from the emphasis on curved forms, to the textures that counter the smooth, hard materiality of concrete, steel and glass. “I love the way the spaces can really hold each piece of furniture, the house and church really lend themselves to be the perfect backdrop,” she says.

Just as the architecture and furniture coming together creates a new conversation, the act of styling and shooting the individual designs together forms new relations between the pieces that, in turn, bring to light elements of affinity or contrast. For Adam Goodrum, seeing his designs set within the Courtyard House and styled by Heather alongside the other pieces from the Nau 2019 collection, “the revelation was that, while I design strategically for both a commercial and residential context, certain designs that I saw as predominantly commercial really work in this residential space.”

An example of this is the Molloy coffee table, part of Adam’s Molloy collection for Nau. The collection is often found in commercial interiors, yet in the Courtyard House, paired with the Sofala sofa, the low table conveys both elegance and an inviting sense of refined relaxation. Meanwhile, the new version of the Molloy chair with arms, Adam explains, was initially developed in response to a request from the Sydney Opera House. Here, however, the design is equally at home in a residential setting, the shoot serving to emphasise the exceptional versatility of a piece that can traverse the full spectrum, from the Opera House to a contemporary home in Melbourne.

This process, by which the styled shoot reveals new qualities of the designs, highlights the inherent creative power of trusted collaborators working together. The shoot marked the third time Heather and photographer Mike Baker had worked with Nau and parent brand Cult Design. Over time, the collection has grown, and Adam reflects that this is seen in the evolution of the work they have produced together. Heather agrees, “previous Nau collection shoots were more conceptual and studio-based,” she says, “so we felt that this time it was really important to place the new designs in an Australian home to reflect Nau’s passion for Australian design. We worked together to ensure the new range shoot would be a cracking showcase for this vision, and the commitment of its incredibly talented designers. Mike Baker’s admiration for contemporary design of honest materiality, when combined with practicality and beauty, ensured his shots really capture the spirit of Nau.”

Furniture, styling, photography and architecture – with Nau 2019, all express a range of shared ideas, intent and approach. From the house, whose design places past and present side by side, to the Nau ethos that brings together leading Australian designers, and the creative process and collaboration behind the collection shoot, Nau 2019 is an active celebration of Australian design, history and creativity.

Why renovating this former workers’ cottage was a challenge

CAT WOODS SEP 15, 2019

A former workers’ cottage bought by a couple in South Melbourne initially proved a challenge for Kister Architects due to Rescode limitations.

Ilana Kister and her team returned 11 years later to make further extensions and additions for the-now family of four’s home.

In 2001, as a new architect with no prior examples of her work to show to clients, Kister was recommended to the Howe Street owners by an architect friend who could not take on the job. The clients were a young couple planning a family, ultimately having a baby during the construction period.

“It was my first construction project and the clients were so trusting and open to all my ideas,” says Kister. “It is a risk giving a project to an architect with no prior examples of work, but they embraced me and trusted me completely.”

Kister Architects was given full creative leadership on the planned extension of the workers’ cottage, which proved to be far from the easiest first project for the budding architect due to planning and boundary conditions that did not match the survey findings, including a shared chimney, neighbour disputes and limited access via a rear laneway.

Kister’s plans had to strictly adhere to the limitations provided by Rescode, a set of residential development standards in clauses 54 and 55 in all planning schemes in Victoria.

Before building work can commence, consideration must be given to any planning controls that apply to the allotment. Planning controls are laws that set out when a planning permit is required and include restrictions on the use of land, the location and height of structures, site coverage, overlooking, car parking and other similar matters.

The set of four workers’ cottages had resulted in unclear boundaries between each property and their shared partition walls.

The shared chimney was between two neighbours’ fireplaces, so that with their shared partition wall and shared flue the only solution was to demolish the client’s chimney. This ultimately maximised the space available for living.

“We had to ensure the neighbour’s chimney was structurally stable while removing our half. We also had the building inspector for the city council come out to ensure we were acting entirely by the book, which is pretty rare in my experience.”

The planned extension added a bedroom, bathroom and a home office. The design took into consideration the heritage overlay on the site and the requirement to conceal all construction behind the original roofline and sight lines from the street.

“This was not an easy prospect as there are sight lines from every angle due to its location on a crescent visible from the intersection,” says Kister.

The Victorian terrace, built in the 1870s, was originally two rooms downstairs and two upstairs, with a kitchen and upstairs bathroom added in the 1950s. Kister retained the living room at the front of the house and the main bedroom upstairs, but redesigned every other aspect. A new kitchen replaced the former dining area and a guest bathroom was added downstairs.

Her focus was on maximising the use of vertical space since the floor space was only 3.6 metres wide. A third level of the house contains a third bedroom accessed by a staircase.

Returning by request 11 years later, Kister’s challenge was to provide additional space for a family of four, with teenagers who needed more flexibility and space to move, entertain and seek solitude.

“They weighed up the options of buying and moving, but they loved their space so much and ultimately decided that a rear studio would be great either as an office or a bedroom for one of the kids instead,” says Kister.

Kister’s initial proposal was a studio that would have taken up most of the outdoor space, destroying the vegetable patch that had been so carefully nurtured over the years. Instead, the addition became an entertainment space that incorporated more greenery to complement the existing vegetable garden.

“We planned to extend the deck so the entire rear of house and front of studio could open up and create an entertaining space. We retained planting along both edges of the deck and then created a green wall at the front of the studio and a green roof so that when you looked down from level one and two, you would not see more metal but a lovely soft green space.”

Kister had remained in contact with her clients and, not for the first time, was delighted to return and build on the work she’d done years before.

“I form a close relationship with my clients, and after the first job it often goes so smoothly the second time because of the trust and understanding of each other.”

‘It’s a wonderful challenge’: The trials and tribulations of a church conversion

CAT WOODS JUL 24, 2019

As alluring as it may be to invest in a historic building with the promise of converting it into a family residence, the very rewarding success of doing so also comes with the risks of unexpected restoration costs and heritage restrictions.

Dating from the 1800s onwards, many of the churches around Australia are rich in history, heritage design and unique facades. There are numerous examples of these historic and sacred buildings retaining their exterior features while having an entirely modern residence housed within, but owners and architects must be aware of abiding by heritage restrictions.

Designed by Kister Architects, the Courtyard House encompasses both a new build and a conversion to a modest church in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. With its dense mixed-use profile, this context provided an opportunity to create a family-friendly urban sanctuary, while honouring a former place of worship.

There was an environmental overlay that triggered soil testing and the removal of contaminated soil was one of the major challenges of the conversion from church to residence, according to Ilana Kister. The biggest challenge, though, was overcoming the darkness of the church and designing an adjacent house that would be complementary to the church rather than competing with it.

“The site was purchased while the church was still functioning as a place of worship,” says Kister, who masterminded an entire gutting and renovation of the site. Attached to the bluestone church was a 1960s hall and theatre. The hall was demolished leaving the empty church space and a blank canvas for an addition.

The church itself has been stripped back to its core structural elements. By demolishing the apse and bricked archways, and inserting glazing instead, its formerly dark interior is now flooded with light and celebrates the building’s historic beauty and volume.

Aside from maintaining the exterior of the bluestone part of the church, the only ode to the original site was to maintain and reuse the heritage stained glass windows by Ferguson and Urie in the new construction.

With high ceilings and an open plan, the challenge was to ensure the space incorporated contemporary principles of sustainability to ensure that temperature control and comfort were foremost. The rooftop garden was included both for functional and aesthetic value.