River House by Fiona Lynch Features Glass Pavilion Addition

Fiona Lynch Architecture has rejuvenated a 1930s Georgian revival home in Melbourne, Australia, originally by Marcus Martin, seamlessly blending historical elements with modern design interventions, including a striking glass pavilion.

The firm aimed to refurbish the building and strip away years of incongruent owner modifications while maintaining the original architectural details, such as fireplace mantels and corbel-supported arches.

“Our restoration and rejuvenation of a 1930s Georgian revival residence located within a riverside pocket in Melbourne channels the progressive attitude of the home’s original architect, Marcus Martin, and his support of local artisans given the breadth of craftsmanship within,” Lynch explained.

The restoration began with exposing and preserving the brick facade and roof tiles, complemented by significant demolitions on the interior, clearing the rabbit warren of rooms on the ground floor.

According to the designer, this was done to “create an expansive living area”, doubling the kitchen width to connect with a substantial glass pavilion.

The interior and exterior elements cater to the tenants’ lifestyles, offering a comfortable open plan arrangement with a lounge area and nook that efficiently connects the home and the garden.

“Collaborations with skilled craftspeople and trades became an intrinsic part of the home’s narrative,” Lynch said. “Given the home sat protected within a heritage overlay, we retained the domestic form, upgrading it to enhance its inherent attributes and provide a substantial facelift.”

The contemporary, open plan setting is checked by an array of slow-crafted stone materials, contrasting against the glass, adding depth and solidity to the soaring spaces while continuing the theme of elegant decorative finishes.

The “Mies van der Rohe-inspired” open-ended pavilion is enclosed by glass walls under a brass canopy, creating a barrierless partition between the garden and interior, pulling light inwards.

The contemporary additions contrast against the dark rippling patterns of the bold-coloured stone materials, led by a travertine and Tugela marble kitchen island defined by opposing concave and convex end supports.

Patterned and mismatched stone materials are patched onto various surfaces throughout, opting for a mix of colours and irregular veinations that express the weightiness and elegance of the house.

“Generous new applications of stone express the monumental largesse of the project, dramatically defining the remodelled bathrooms and key interventions downstairs,” Lynch said.

The kitchen island doubles as a functional surface while offering an expressive and central graphic for the room. Its half-bullnose surface reacts against the stainless steel cabinetry surrounding it.

“We blended bold geometries to craft a robust island with opposing concave and convex end supports from travertine and verdant Tugela marble,” Lynch continued.

“Its upturned half-bullnose surface adds an elegance that responds perfectly to the cool stainless steel joinery surrounding it.”

The expressive marble surfaces feature in the master ensuite, decorated with a similarly bendy vanity to echo the sinuously lined kitchen island.

The interior continues multiple interventions, integrating the light softened shades into the stair landing and hallway area with oak panelling and wide floorboards to reflect light inwards.

The application of lighter oak becomes the background for the more capture, textured materials, painting an understated canvas on which the chalcedony, Egyptian blues, aquamarine and dusty pink carry across soft furnishings and custom colour block floor rugs with plum highlights.

Lighting and flooring furnish the interior, adding to the modern interventions through soft pallet paints lights and delicate, reflective materials and surfaces.

The steps are designed to elegantly traverse through the interior, connecting each level under an amply decorated ceiling with monochromatic panels.

“Highlighting our redesign of the staircase that replaces a wrought-iron balustrade with a sculpted curve finished in polished plaster,” explained the designer. “two steps (one featuring a carved radius) feature lavender-hued quartzite that also clads the neighbouring powder room’s walls.”

From the original features to the subtle modern additions, the studio aimed to compose a contemporary interior that observes the past while creating new experiences of comfort and practicality.

“Raw oak door frames and complementary streamlined doors were installed, in contrast to the home’s original ornamental features, while we replaced decorative skirting with minimal trims of oak in oversized heights (some laid in panels of mis-matched woodgrains),” Lynch said.

The design avoids bold and experimental trims and instead adopts complimentary hues, departing from the modern convention for more matching elements with a “brighter white” with “highlights of silvery grey”.

“We also unified all original decorative details (from fireplace mantels to window architraves), coating them in a subliminal white shade and avoiding the custom of highlighting these trims in bolder shades,” Lynch explained.