The Rothschild, a residential development in Sydney's Rosebery suburb, is an intriguing project that stands out among the surrounding chaos. The building's calm and serene atmosphere is a stark contrast to the bustling environment, and this is largely due to its unique design and thoughtful principles. The project is a testament to the power of architecture to create a sense of place and evoke a specific mood, even in an area undergoing rapid development.
The Rothschild's street facades, inspired by the heritage-listed Mentmore House, are a striking feature. The neoclassical design, with its abstracted proportions and repetitive classical details, adds a sense of grandeur and historical reference to the development. This is particularly interesting in an area where new developments often prioritize functionality over decorative elements. The project's director, Angelo Candalepas, explains that studying Mentmore House's design brought to mind other factory sites, such as Donald Judd's studio in New York, where decorative features were readily applied to utilitarian buildings. This interplay between the classical and the functional is a key aspect of The Rothschild's design.
The project's central courtyard with a gridded olive grove and 'atomic' apartment modules with exceptional spatial efficiency and clarity are also noteworthy. These principles, combined with the dual aspect and limited-length corridors, create a sense of openness and airiness within the building. The use of outdoor rooms and the acknowledgment of the importance of trees and landscape in creating space is a refreshing approach to residential design.
The large public art columns addressing the side lane are another fascinating feature of The Rothschild. These columns, designed by artist Natalie O'Loughlin, are a series of abstracted caryatids made of glass-reinforced concrete. The fluid forms and obvious joints of the columns add a sense of playfulness and movement to the development, and they do not hide their hollowness but rather accept it willingly, lending a strong conceptual identity to the project.
The true beauty of The Rothschild, however, lies in its atmosphere. The pale, cool palette of the building evokes a sense of the area's pre-industrial character, with its shifting dunes and scattered water bodies. This accidental beauty, created through the interplay of light and landscape, is a powerful reminder of the importance of context and place in architecture.
Candalepas' approach to The Rothschild is also noteworthy. He acknowledges the financial realities of working with developers and the importance of accepting the constraints of materials and expediency. This acceptance, however, does not mean compromising on the project's principles and ideas. In fact, it is this acceptance that allows Candalepas to create a development that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
The Rothschild is a project that challenges the prevalent position that ornament is a crime in contemporary architecture. Candalepas' use of decorative elements, such as the neoclassical facades and public art columns, adds a layer of complexity and interest to the development. Whether or not this is an enduring position remains to be seen, but The Rothschild is a powerful example of the potential for architecture to create a sense of place and evoke a specific mood. As Candalepas says, 'The only thing that offers any opportunity at all for us to see what has merit or not, is time'. The Rothschild is a project that invites time to judge its merit, and it is a project that will undoubtedly be remembered for its unique approach to residential design.
