Invisible Angel with wings in harsh Hampton hamlet : He Said/She Said
The Peter Stutchbury designed retreat, Invisible House, at Hampton near Lithgow in the western foothills of the NSW Blue Mountains, was crowned 2014 House of the Year, the awards presented by Houses magazine, affiliated with the Australian Institute of Architects.
It was designed several years ago as a bush retreat for a filmmaker and painter in rugged bushland overlooking the Megalong Valley, some four hours west of Sydney.
The jury gave the top prize saying it was “absolutely Australian”.
“The form, materials and details are mastered in this house, running from inside to out and then into the landscape as one,” said the jury.
“From both inside and out, changes in nature are apparent, in wet and dry, hot and cold and through the seasons of the year.”
It said it came with “modesty, clarity, resourcefulness and consequential delight”.
New house over 200 square metres: Invisible House, near Lithgow, NSW
Judges’ comments: There is something absolutely Australian about this project, pictured above, not just its connection to an undeniably spectacular setting but also its modesty, clarity, resourcefulness and consequential delight. Its magic is created through balance, such as the griddled rigour of the plan balanced with the bloated curve of the long section, or the transparency of the simple exterior balanced with the solid, albeit sliced, nature of the interior rooms. This elegant building, looking out from its position nestled into the hilltop, has left us drawn to see more.
HE SAID:
It appears to be made largely of concrete just below the brow of the escarpment on the 75 hectare estate, apparently all but invisible on approach hence its name. Of course those rusting Ned Kelly helmut-like rooms are the first hint of its construction. Could almost be an abandoned rusty John Deere grader left in the former sheep paddock.
One critic Joe Rollo rightly likened the home to Hugh Buhrich’s 1972 Castlecrag, Sydney home with its waving sinusoidal roof of copper sitting lightly over a band of glass over a concrete beam.
The curved ceiling looks stunning, but not sure about the overall internal harshness, but I guess it reflects the texture.
I love that it can be rented, known as Angel Wing on the contemporaryhotels.com.au website, though its $1,000 a night minimum so you'd need deep pockets or as many friends as Margie Blok has.
SHE SAID:
As an unabashed fan of the creative genius of architect Peter Stutchbury, I am mad about this house.
For starters I love its unmistakably Australian stamp with a raw palette of materials – stone, wood, concrete – working in connection with the landscape.
Also, I love its balance, its elongated form stretching across the site, its curved internal ceilings reflecting shapes of neighbouring hills, and its vast expanses of glass capturing magnificent views of rugged bushland across the vast expanse of Megalong Valley.
Having spent much time in the Blue Mountains during each of the four seasons, I think this house has an interesting collection of spaces providing a calming and peaceful retreat at any time of the year – and not only inside.
The outdoor areas are well designed for rest and relaxation too. I particularly like the central outdoor firepit, with its exposure to the sky and sawn log stools - an ideal spot to perch with a sundowner and watch the distant cliffs change colour in evening light.
I see the house is named Angel Wing – presumably after the 9-metre limestone formation shawl dominating the Temple of Baal Cave discovered in 1904 at nearby Jenolan Caves.
Listed as a holiday house on the Contemporary Hotels website, the house, if you have eight staying, could work out at $175 a night each or $125 per night with discounted summer rates.
It is listed at $1,400 per night for two to four nights (with a minimum stay of two nights) or $1,200 per night for stays of five or more nights – and discounted summer rates (December to February) of $1,100 per night for two to four nights and $1,000 per night for stays of five or more nights.
Perched high on a hillside in the isolated hamlet of Hampton on Jenolean Caves Road, this house is a wonderful piece of architecture.
In my view, it is a well deserved winner of the Australian House of the Year in this year’s Houses Awards, organised by Architecture Media, publisher of Houses magazine.
