Black Box | Archaea

Black Box at Malvern is a sculpted contemporary container for the Hope family’s ever-changing art collection. An addition to a 1920’s bungalow, new built form has been defined in black steel and brick, distinctly contrasting the existing, white-painted brick and render. Never seeking to blend or compete, the black contrasts in both form and colour.

An existing Willow Myrtle, its gnarled, knobbly trunk and contrasting feathery foliage was retained and helped inform a design response that saw the eventual floorplate hold tight to the existing, extending laterally across the site rather than stretching towards the rear, savouring the tree.

The addition stands bold in black, with a sense of formality through its form coupled with a softness emerging from the contrasting palettes internally. The result is a home reminding the Hope family that beyond a canvas for artwork, the space is also, and more importantly, a canvas for family life.