ARTISTIC DIMENSIONS

The house is built around a series of courtyards filled with artwork. Treger commissioned this Henry Moore-inspired sculpture called Orca/Figure from South African sculptor Malcolm Solomon. Modern pieces such as the iconic Chandigarh chair is juxtaposed with rustic elements like cowhide. A painting by Erik Laubscher hangs above the American Lane Altavista sideboard

藝術格調

房子圍著放滿藝術品的庭園而建。Treger委託南非雕塑家Malcolm Solomon打造出這座名為Orca/Figure的Henry Moore風作品。現代之作如Chandigarh椅與牛皮等田園元素交織而放。Erik Laubscher的油畫掛在American Lane Altavista邊櫃上方

The admirable restraint of the arrival sequence is about as wilful as the building ever becomes. For the rest, it seems almost to disappear or at least serve as a neutral backdrop facilitating views. "The building itself does not demand attention," says Christiaan. "Instead, it focuses you outward." Its straight-lined monolithic appearance may take its cue from the original ruin, but it’s a style that lends itself to "strong and simple form and natural light." The spaces are unified in their white finish, and the slate floors create cohesion and continuity inside and out. "On the one hand, it creates a simple and elegant backdrop for Julian’s collection," says Christiaan. "On the other hand, it allows the architecture to disappear in the sense that the setting becomes what really matters. So your eye is drawn up to the sky, to the horizon."

The home is perfect for showcasing Julian’s eclectic collection of design, art and furnishings. One avenue of his thinking is exemplified by the Pierre Jeanneret furnishings; Jeanneret took over from his cousin, Le Corbusier, as the architect and urban designer for Chandigarh, the new capital for the state of Punjab in the 1950s. Characterised by a clash of rustic and modern design, here the style combines cowhide and the sleekness of Willy Rizzo, while somewhere in between are the

此址已被廢棄約十年，期間只曾被一幢不完整的大樓進佔過——Julian初次跟Christiaan視察時，形容其狀況為「70年代Case Study House那種方正簡約的設計」。Christiaan補充：「整片空間雜草蔓生。」然而，觀乎其地理位置，Julian指：「在其上加以創造最自然不過。」

Christiaan訂下了房子的設計框框。「與其抗衡已有的設計語言，倒不如增強其魅力。」他指：「我們在整間房子刻出長方形狀，利用已有結構的前方位置，再往後發展至懸崖。接著把長方體分拆成一系列庭園。」

教人欣賞不已的克制設計與結構同樣是精心促使的成果。餘下的，看來好似已失卻蹤影，又或者能至少充當襯托四圍景色的中性背景。「建築本身不引人注目。」Christiaan指：「反之，它著重