The Droga Apartment
Muscling into a tough urban streetscape, the Droga Apartment sits atop a 19th-century brick warehouse that acts as a plinth to its remarkable curved zinc-clad form.
Designed by Durbach Block Architects between 1996-1997, the apartment has been the recipient of the Wilkinson Award for Residential Architecture and the Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture. Camilla Block is one of the principal partners of Durbach Block Jaggers Architects and has taught, lectured, exhibited, judged awards and been published nationally and internationally.
The form of the penthouse is intentionally mute and sculptural, a tough response in a tough neighbourhood. This muscular exterior belies the smooth, calm and elastic interior, a distinctive mix of urban immersion and overview.
Durbach Block Architects quoted in 70/80/90 Iconic Australian Houses: three decades of domestic architecture, by Karen McCartney.
Gallery of photos
Details from the penthouse designed by Durbach Block architects. Photographs by Michael Wee for the publication 70/80/90 Iconic Australian Houses: three decades of domestic architecture, by Karen McCartney.
Published on
Related
Wallpaper
Wallpaper printing rollers: from machine printing to 3D capture
In December 2022, Phyllis Murphy AM generously donated to the Caroline Simpson Library more than 3,000 wallpaper samples. While the bulk of the donation consists of wallpaper rolls, lengths and sample books, it also includes two printing rollers
House photo albums
These specially produced photograph albums (some in published form and others consisting of photographs pasted into an album) comprise images of one or more domestic dwellings and depict exteriors, interiors and gardens in NSW mostly from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries
Richard Stringer’s architectural photographs, 1968–2003
This portfolio contains 55 photo prints taken by architectural photographer Richard Stringer, dating from 1968 to 2003, documenting significant Australian domestic buildings
Barry Wollaston: historic buildings in the county of Cumberland (NSW), 1954
This collection consists of 232 photo negatives by architect and photographer Barry Wollaston of buildings in the Sydney region considered by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in the early 1950s to be of architectural and historical value