Hidden Home by Luigi Rosselli Architects redefines what it means to work within architectural constraints, showcasing how creative vision can transform space limitations into design opportunities. Situated in Sydney’s Lower North Shore, this Victorian-era residence, originally crafted by Walter Liberty Vernon in 1889, faced strict council restrictions, preventing expansion upwards or outwards. Instead of seeing a dead end, Rosselli and his team dug downwards, creating an immersive subterranean sanctuary crowned by a breathtaking, Gaudi-inspired swimming pool.
When the project began, the home was a two-story Victorian with poky upstairs bedrooms and a kitchen isolated from the main living areas. An active family with three adult children, the owners wanted a space that balanced historic charm with modern functionality, emphasizing wellness features like a gym, pool, spa, and sauna. However, a previous development in the 1990s had reduced the garden size, and the council vetoed any plans to use the remaining garden for a pool. Faced with this challenge, Rosselli demolished a garage addition and utilized the sloping sandstone site to create a new wing that descends over four levels, crowned with a lush roof garden.
The result is a home that is largely invisible from the street, with even the top floor partially below ground due to the slope of the land. This upper level houses a contemporary open-plan space, complete with a living room, dining area, and kitchen that opens to the garden through walls of glass and courtyards on two sides. The design allows natural light to flood the interior, seamlessly blending indoor and outdoor spaces.
Beneath the main living area, the lower ground floor offers a wine cellar, cinema, gym, massage room, sauna, spa, and a sandstone-clad passageway leading to an underground garage. The real showstopper lies on the lowest level, where the revelatory swimming pool sits beneath sweeping stone arches inspired by Antoni Gaudi’s designs in Barcelona’s Park Güell. The parabolic arches create a striking visual and serve a structural purpose, supporting the weight of the upper floors and enhancing depth in the pool area.
A seven-meter-long bank of skylights carved into the floors of the two levels above the pool elevates the pool’s ambiance. These skylights channel light into the space and offer glimpses of the sky. This thoughtful integration of natural light transforms what could have been a dark basement into an inviting, almost surreal retreat.
The original Victorian section of the home remains faithfully preserved, with only a few modern interventions to improve the flow of the space, including a new opening between the living and dining areas. Romaine Alwill’s interior design bridges the gap between eras, blending modernist elements with the late-Victorian vernacular. She restored the stained glass, archways, cornices, and ceiling roses while introducing cooler blues, rich timbers, and warmer tones in the new contemporary section.
The Hidden Home embodies a journey of discovery, with each level offering a new experience. From the refined elegance of the main sitting room, featuring the ‘Hug’ sofa, to the laidback, masculine vibe of the open-plan area, where the B&B Italia ‘Bend’ modular sofa takes center stage, the furniture selections reflect the home’s dual personality, offering a dialogue between old and new.
Ultimately, the Hidden Home is more than just a renovation project. It celebrates architectural ingenuity, demonstrating how a visionary approach can turn constraints into opportunities and create an expansive and luxurious home, even when much is hidden beneath the earth.
For more architectural marvels, see Speargrass House by Sumich Chaplin Architects.
