Vodka Palace House
Designed by Marcus Browne architect, Hidden in an affluent coastal suburb is ‘Vodka Palace? a luxurious concrete cave, tempered with natural timber finishes and primed for premium culinary, audio and visual pleasure. It is the result of a very strong collaborative process between client, architect, builder, sub-consultants, sub-contractors, and suppliers. The client is a close friend and a unique paradoxical individual. One part reclusive and one part party queen she wanted the seclusion and ethereal quality of a cave to escape into that satisfied all her needs without having to really go anywhere else, yet also at a moments notice she wanted to be able to invite the world in and entertain close friends and family in style. Photography: Dion Robeson
The palace is designed functionally to be a chameleon allowing her to create different audio and visual lighting effects depending on the occasion and mood required. Externally the client wanted to feel like she was in the bush of her beloved second home the southwest region of Western Australia where she once owned and managed an iconic hotel and this was created for her by using native trees and shrubs representative of the region.

The choice of off-form concrete resonates with its coastal location by reflecting the strong brutalist forms of kiosks and public amenities typical to many local beaches and its grounding coolness warmed by timber finishes, a neutral color palette and a considered play of l...