A Revamped Terrace House in Sydney Is an Audiophile’s Dream

A new addition at the rear of this slender, 1800s-built home is finely tuned for hi-fi listening.

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Simply sitting to take in music takes a certain kind of discipline against today’s onslaught of digital interruption, but that may be because we rarely consider designing for focused listening. Not so for an audiophile client’s updated terrace home in Sydney, where Melbourne-based Pandolfini Architects implemented interiors specially calibrated for an attention-grabbing experience.

"A full-height wall of folded aluminum panels complete the sound stage and hold an extensive music collection," say the architects, who, in an unassuming concrete addition at the rear of the home, tuned the space with the client’s high-end audio equipment for a richer and nuanced auditory experience. A slanted roof gives way to a lofty, dramatic interior, recalling spatial qualities of a concert hall.

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The two-level home kept its historic facade, but otherwise saw a thorough, top-to-bottom refresh. "On the ground floor, a central pod conceals the staircase and amenities, freeing up the rest of the interior space and delineating the piano and listening rooms," say Pandolfini of the newly-svelte interiors. A skinny skylight spanning the width of the site articulates the concrete addition from the original brick home, and provides natural light. Following the slope of the ground, the entry level steps down into the listening room to maximize height, and flows out onto an enclosed courtyard.