Tivoli Avenue

Nestled on a battle axe lot in harbourside Rose Bay, Tivoli is a true reflection of its prestigious context. Once occupied by a humble 1980s brick bungalow, the home has been transformed into a luxurious retreat, architecturally and aesthetically informed by its coastal surrounds. Accessed via a narrow driveway and state-of-the-art car lift, the home’s exclusivity is established on initial approach. Cloaked in off-form concrete on its eastern entry side, Tivoli shields itself from its neighbours while offering sweeping views of Rose Bay and Sydney Harbour to the north and west.

Designed to take its cues from the changing nature of its surrounds, Tivoli rises from a rocky crag to a floating tree canopy, stepping up the steep landscape of Rose Bay’s eastern escarpment. The four-story structure is clad in a succession of stone, concrete, and bronzed battens that cleverly play with scale, articulating context. As the house rises, materials lighten, with a recessive stone-plinth ground floor recreation and gym level opening up to an infinity pool and lawn facing the harbour. The upper levels feature a concrete-colonnaded floor housing four bedrooms, followed by a glass and steel framed open-plan living area at mid-level, and a fine-batten screened master suite atop the lightest floor.

The most elevated level is equipped with sliding screens that can fully open, exposing spectacular views of the harbour, and close for privacy, security, and protection from the sun and wind. This innovative concept of a house that can fully open and close is particularly suited to its jet-setting owners. The main living level curves with the rare thirty-five-metre-wide- site, creating three different water-view aspects from its kitchen, dining, and living areas. This level culminates in a large entertaining terrace facing the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, offering a perfect spot to unwind and take in the stunning views.

The home features a number of passive and technological design elements which both reduce the home’s energy use and lower its environmental footprint. The central levels are fitted with recessed external venetian blinds that can be lowered to reduce heat load during summer, while the roof is fully covered in photo-voltaic cells to provide battery-stored energy for daily needs as well as house and pool heating.

A set of meandering steps leading down from the infinity pool area leads to a wooden deck and renovated boathouse at the harbour’s edge, the icing on the cake for a residence whose position is truly unrivalled.