Apartments, Elizabeth Bay

These Art Deco apartments are at 17 Elizabeth Bay Road in the Sydney suburb of Elizabeth Bay.

I find the stepped facade very interesting and extremely pleasing to the eye, especially when the roofline is seen against a cloudy blue sky.

The minimal decoration on the building comes from the use of different coloured bricks. Along the top of the facade a wide horizontal band is defined by five double rows of lighter bricks laid with the narrow end protuding slightly from the surface of the wall.

This technique is repeated in a single row of bricks directly below the level of each window. However, between the windows, a second row of identically orientated bricks has been added continuing around the angles created by the stepping of the overall facade.

The attention to detail of the designer is emphasised by the symetrical placement of vents aligned with the top level of each window. One vent has been placed parallel to each window while the other has been placed perpendicular to the window on that part of each stepped element.