Untold

Long time Vitale Group collaborator James Cooper [JC] of Metropolis talks with Letitia Vitale [LV] about the journey from Burleigh to Byron — how Vitale Group’s most recent project Mondrian Gold Coast at Burleigh Heads paved the way for the genesis of Eade Byron Bay.

[JC] Mondrian opened earlier this year, and it’s an amazing landmark for Burleigh. What was it about Burleigh that drew you and there in the first place? And what do you see in Burleigh’s future?

[LV] Chris (Letitia’s husband and managing partner vitale group) and I bought a little beach house in Burleigh — you visited it — and even though I barely knew the area at the time, living in the village helped us understand its culture and realise what we wanted to bring to it. The area was evolving quickly, with big ’70s and ’80s buildings but no real opportunities until James Street, which had this fresh, almost Byron-like feel. I loved that it had its own esplanade, easy beach access, and the protection of the headland, which was great for us with young kids. That’s when Burleigh really clicked for us.

[JC] What was the initial concept behind the Mondrian? How closely was it linked to the location?

[LV] We were excited to create something that blended residential and hotel life, a community feel on both sides, and choosing an operator was the big decision. It needed to be iconic, new to Australia, and willing to trust what Chris and I were doing, especially with the room types we were delivering. Ennismore stood out because they were genuinely doing something different, and that’s ultimately why Mondrian at Burleigh came to life.

[JC]   So Mondrian is now complete – how does Byron come into the mix? What is yours and Chris’ personal connection?

[LV]   Chris and I have a family beach house about 12 minutes from Byron, and honestly, it feels like it’s been sprinkled with fairy dust. It’s a really magical piece of land. We’re just outside the town, but we still feel the community, the vibe, the ocean, and we get to enjoy all the amazing restaurants.

I run up the hill to my favourite lighthouse, and I still stop at the cliff and take in that view. It’s a landscape that stays with you. That kind of connection is rare, and when you feel it, you don’t want to leave.

[JC]   A lot of people talk about that special connection with Byron. How did you try and capture that feeling with Eade?

[LV] I feel like we’ve taken the natural beauty of Byron — the coastline, the hinterland, all those layers — and brought them together in a beachside home with beautiful architecture and interiors that really work with the views and the light.

We always knew it needed to be something special, buut also made to weather life by the ocean. It had to feel like it genuinely belonged on this rare piece of land. The location called for a home that was refined, connected to the coastline, and unmistakably Byron Bay.

[JC]   Why do you think people place such high value on sustainability in a place like Byron? Why is it important to the project?

[LV] When you understand Byron and you truly appreciate what Byron’s about, whats important is how do we leave this place better than it currently is. That’s what Eade is to me. It’s not a pop up lightweight build, here today gone tomorrow. We’re creating something sustainable, something that works and fits within its landscape. We’re creating something that’s going to be here generations after us.

Friends from high school, James Cooper [JC] of Metropolis talks to Jeremy Bull [jb] of Alexander &Co. about his long connection with Byron Bay and how that has influenced the design of Eade.

[JC]   Byron Bay is now known globally as a special destination, what’s your personal relationship with Byron and how well do you know it?

So I’ve been going to Byron, since the first time I hitchhiked, and we put up a tent in what is now the Firey’s warehouse between Byron and Tallow’s. And ever since then I have gone consistently. And Tess (Jeremy’s Wife) and I were just there, now that we have kids we go up there a lot.

It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t been there, but it has somehow retained it’s magic. And it’s spawned a kind of quintessential Byron Bay beach aesthetic, and it’s spawned cultures and ways of life and yet it hasn’t changed at all.

I still have this incredible love for these north facing bays. You see it in Noosa, and you see it in Burleigh, and you see it in Byron. There’s just something so magical about the energy that’s held in these north facing coves.

[JC]   So how is Eade ultimately inspired by its location? It is a unique location in the context of Byron and then there’s the environment itself. How much did that play a role in your design?

One of the things that we were aware of is that Byron has, to some degree, become kind of a victim of its own branding. You know, it’s sort of white washed walls and tiki rattan. And we were like, you know, actually, Byron is very, very sophisticated in so many ways, but we don’t think that story’s been told. So what we were really conscious of doing was telling the story of Byron through Eade of the sophisticated, of the clever. Of it being cosmopolitan without relinquishing its coasts, of salty skin and sun and all the beautiful, rich stuff that you go there for. What would it look like if Byron looked really clever but didn’t lose its spirit?

[JC]   Okay, so how does answering that question manifest in the material palette?

[JB]   When I’m at the beach, I’m assuming that my feet are sandy and that I’ve got salt on me, and I’ve just been for a swim, and that my home wants to feel like it’s more or less connected to the landscape. So I can see the trees and I can see the water, and my home wants to bring those materials in.

Our palette starts to respond to all of those contexts, you know, how does it stand up to salty, dirty feet and and how does it feel natural that I’m in a pair of boardshorts in this really gorgeous home? So you start having these finishes which feel worn and they’ve got a life to them. And although there’s a sophistication and a cleverness, they’re very robust.

And so the whole palette starts taking this form. Both sort of sexy and urban, but really resilient and really connected to its landscape. So what you’ll see that in the palettes, is that they feel both clever but accessible. They feel kind of architectural, but you want to hug them.