Cheltenham.

An elevated vision

A highly visible location at the entry point to the Southland commercial precinct offered the chance to significantly lift a universally drab stretch of the Nepean Highway.

Cheltenham, street view of a tall apex-shaped building with vertical fins and a lit ground floor

Cheltenham, lower street render of the finned apex building seen from the footpath

Cheltenham, black and white photograph of wind-rippled sand and surf at a shoreline

Architecture

The irregular shape of the large block at 1267–1269 Nepean Highway, Cheltenham, inspired a striking apex design that provides a three-dimensional character to the built form and presents visual interest from all angles.

Our solution cleverly navigates the detailed aspirations of the local planning scheme to achieve a statement response that triumphantly breaks the pervading monotony along this stretch of road.

The facade draws upon the gently rolling waves of the nearby beaches, with the resulting scalloped exterior creating a soaring quality. A triangular ‘cutaway’ of the curved aluminium cladding matches the shape of the site and reveals warm lighting to offer the impression of being welcoming and accessible.

The soft, sculptural facade and clever use of materials at 1267–1269 Nepean Highway is intended as a sensitive response to the building’s immediate context and to capture the essence of this understated neighbourhood.

The use of fritted glass provides the desired soft milky look while helping reduce glare, cut cooling costs and lower the danger to birds. The white appearance helps to further soften the built form, while the aluminium—shaped to a scallop design—matches the feature fritted glazing and provides a continuous sculptural form.

Internal lighting is positioned in a formulaic sequence behind milky glass, within an interchangeable arrangement, to create further visual interest.

Cheltenham, four detail views of the finned facade, building signage and perforated metal