Park Street by SGKS ARCH
Consolidating two Art Deco flats to create a family home, SGKS ARCH radically reinvigorates the façade, introducing the expressive contours and vibrant colours that resonate within.
Fusing bold shapes and tones with local character, Park Steet energises and inspires those who inhabit it, while honouring Saint Kilda West’s eclectic character.
Power Play
Park Street wields the powerful impact of self-expression and creative freedom given it was designed and built by the client himself: Henry Sgourakis, Principal Architect of SGKS ARCH. The home’s inter-war façade was revitalised by the addition of exaggerated geometric forms including an arched window straddling two levels, complemented by metal bollard fencing sprouting from a wide inverted arch that pierces its entry wall. These elements are enhanced against an all-white exterior with crisp black outlines, as is an elongated deep teal-shaded front door that hints at the confident fusion of daring colour adventures within. Punctuated by a Brushed Champagne Zzziggurat Door Knob from Bankston’s Super Collection (a collaboration with the avant-garde Adelaide architectural firm, Sans-Arc), its golden shimmer and stepped circular profile instantly piques intrigue while respecting the building’s original Deco design codes.
It was the only front door knob that genuinely excited me and felt worthy of the entry moment, aligning perfectly with the project’s material and heritage references.
- Henry Sgourakis, Principal Architect, SGKS ARCH
Colour Bursts
Within, open yet intimate spaces are solidly bound by exposed concrete floors and ceilings. Hardy industrial materials including a glass block wall that diffuses sunlight amongst the hallway (nodding to the home’s original era), plus the stair’s sculptural steelwork and stainless steel kitchen add a light touch. Radical colour accents including burnt orange and cobalt blue highlight geometric forms – both curved and angular, energetically enhancing the home’s individuality. Highlights include an undulating arched shelving unit, the curved corner of a sunken lounge, plus a solid sliding door dividing a lounge area from the hall.
Inner Strength
A Bronze Pull 03 from Bankston’s Casts collection radiates along one edge of the burnt orange sliding door, its generous size, and soft glow enhanced by the bold shade surrounding it. “The sliding door hardware offered the right balance of craftsmanship and restraint, while reinforcing the homes detailing through the semi-circular design,” adds Henry Sgourakis. Given the generous depth of its recessed cavity slider enabling fingers to rest and pull upon it, it is the ideal solution for family members to regularly engage with. As with all the metal hardware in the Casts collection (including Aluminium and Patinated Bronze finishes), it features a subtly textured surface given the collection’s sandcast–making process, instantly adding a settled patina. In addition to the home’s entry handle, these golden accents enhance the coppery tones sprinkled about the home including the kitchen’s expressive stone articulating the island’s surface and dowel supports, plus the expansive splashback.
I treated the hardware as part of the architecture, ensuring it aligned with the material palette, forms and overall design language of the home
- Henry Sgourakis
