C&L International Holdings

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<a href="http://www.cnlholdings.com.au/">C&amp;L International Holdings</a> and <a href="http://artdes.monash.edu/">MADA</a> (Monash Art Design and Architecture) are uniting to anoint an emerging artist with a significant commission. C&amp;L’s upcoming residential development, Royal Como located at 663 Chapel Street South Yarra will cater for the one-off art commission.

Rather than simply purchasing an artwork from a gallery, C&amp;L will award the $10,000 commission to a rising star in the art world as deemed worthy by artist and MADA Head of Fine Art, Professor Callum Morton.

One of Australia’s leading and most revered fine artists, Callum Morton is known for blending the disciplines of fine art, architecture and built form, with important national and international works produced for the public space and private galleries. Some of his more recent works include Monument Park at NewQuay in collaboration with McBride Charles Ryan and Silverscreen at MUMA in collaboration with Kerstin Thompson Architects.

<blockquote>
The Royal Como Art Commission is an important first commission as it provides an opportunity for an emerging artist to work and show in the public realm. This is a unique learning opportunity for a MADA graduate and we are very pleased that we can provide such significant and high profile opportunities for our students and alumni.
<cite>Callum Morton, MADA Head of Fine Art</cite>
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With interiors for Royal Como devised by Nexus Designs, Creative Director Sonia Simpfendorfer joined Callum Morton and MADA Manager Fine Art, Ruth Bain on the judging panel. Jimmy Nuttall, Emily Yuting Cheng, David Egan, Andrea Eckersley, Alyra Bartasek, Lachlan Petras were selected as finalists, with the winner to be announced on October 8th.

<blockquote>
Incorporating contemporary Australian art into the project was a fundamental element of the interior design and the layout of the interior spaces. A gallery look is what we presented in our very first design concept meeting.

That C&amp;L have created an art prize and commission is a very exciting extension of that initial idea and takes it to a whole other level. Our concept statement for the main lobby included “entering the lobby of Royal Como is the experience of being invited in to the inner sanctum and private living room of the house of a fabulous, well-travelled art collector on a very grand scale.
<cite>Sonia Simpfendorfer, Creative Director, Nexus Designs</cite>
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<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/alyra-brookjames-small-9.jpg" rel="gallery-all"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/alyra-brookjames-small-9.jpg?itok=L0-ZqqsH" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Finalist Alyra Bartasek at work in the studio.</figcaption></figure>Urban.com.au sat down for a chat with Sonia to discuss the Royal Como Art Commission as well as Nexus Designs' work on the project. Essentially Royal Como's interiors have been designed to capture the essence of modern Australian living, with Nexus' design team drawing on their knowledge of the South Yarra / Melbourne lifestyle to deliver interiors that are smart, sophisticated and simple.

Nexus' design influence extends beyond the apartments to common areas, lift lobbies, the display suite and the integration of internal signage and wayfinding, presenting more as gallery spaces rather than the traditional designs associated with residential spaces. Artwork is often the starting point for an interior and is also a vital source of inspiration: Nexus authored a colour palette handbook about the Australian landscape, art and poetry called Using Australian Colour.

Ideals sourced from the handbook are reflected throughout the project.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/nexus_royal_como_common.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Royal Como communal area. Courtesy Nexus Design."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="185" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nexus_royal_como_common.jpg?itok=kbSo_6H1" title="Royal Como communal area. Courtesy Nexus Design." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Royal Como communal area. Courtesy Nexus Design.</figcaption></figure>The Gallery Series apartments located over levels 7-17 draw inspiration from nature, with the colours, textures and materials referencing the richness of the Australian landscape and exploring the contrast between natural and urban environments. As Sonia describes it, it's very much about the notion of "connecting to something real." It is a classic, neutral scheme that is accentuated by bursts of colour.

A collection of penthouses on levels 18 to 21 are known as The Collector Series and feature a blend of natural stone and timber to create areas with immediate impact. From the stainless steel European appliances to the sculptural Marc Newson basins and baths, residents are encouraged to live the art collector lifestyle within Royal Como.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/nexus_royal_como_12.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The Gallery Series apartment interior. Courtesy Nexus Design."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="180" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/nexus_royal_como_12.jpg?itok=2HXMJuX0" title="The Gallery Series apartment interior. Courtesy Nexus Design." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The Gallery Series apartment interior. Courtesy Nexus Design.</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
The urban Gallery look and feel created by Nexus Designs for Royal Como provides a blank canvas for people to colour their world and curate their cherished objects and artworks within their interiors. The Royal Como Art Commission is a natural extension of the gallery inspired approach.

We believe it is a tremendous association for Royal Como to extend Nexus Designs interior art gallery concept into an art commission that will take pride of place in the Royal Como foyer.
<cite>Sonia Simpfendorfer, Creative Director, Nexus Designs (interiors)</cite>
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Touching on her role on the The Royal Como Commission judging panel, Sonia said she was excited to see what the artists come up. Ultimately the chosen piece will take pride of place within the ground level foyer that measures approximately seven metres in length. The artwork will initially occupy a much smaller space within the Royal Como display suite, possibly acting as a 'teaser' to the final artwork.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/andrea-brookjames-small-24.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Andrea Eckersley at work in the studio."><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="387" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/andrea-brookjames-small-24.jpg?itok=5VBbPAOh" title="Andrea Eckersley at work in the studio." width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Finalist Andrea Eckersley at work in the studio.</figcaption></figure>
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Laurence Dragomir

Royal Como presents a unique design opportunity

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The lure of Melbourne as an international development hotspot remains strong with another Asian-based firm intent on creating a showpiece residential development in Melbourne. Sister company to the fortuitously named, Chinese-based Yarra Holdings, C&amp;L International Holdings is on the verge of releasing Royal Como which will be located within South Yarra's ever popular Forrest Hill Precinct.

Based in Zhongshan, China and maintaining their Australian office in the northern Sydney suburb of Chatswood, C&amp;L International Holdings is headed by company Chairman Chris Chen and Managing Director Alex Liu who between them have more than 20 years experience in the development sector. To date C&amp;L have focused on residential and commercial projects within Asia, with their latest project a 24 tower complex in Zhongshan.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image52.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Royal Como with Melbourne's CBD. Image courtesy C&amp;L International"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="221" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image52.jpg?itok=OGCGgTQD" title="Royal Como with Melbourne's CBD. Image courtesy C&amp;L International" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Royal Como with Melbourne's CBD. Image courtesy C&amp;L</figcaption></figure>Seeking their slice of the robust Melbourne apartment sector, C&amp;L will shortly launch Royal Como, adjacent to Melbourne High School. Holding 112 one, two and three bedroom apartments, the pending tower is the work of South Yarra-based Bruce Henderson Architects.

Nexus Designs have created the interior spaces within Royal Como which are designed to appeal to the owner occupier market. This is in line with the company's intentions on targeting premier suburbs in both Melbourne and Sydney with a product equal to, or superior to what is currently available.

<blockquote>
We have identified a shift in Australia by empty nesters from their family homes to spacious, well-designed luxury apartments, and this is the market we are looking to tap in to.
<cite>Echo He, Director of C&amp;L International Holdings</cite>
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<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image55_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A sign of things to come. Image courtesy royalcomo.com.au"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="318" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image55_0.jpg?itok=oM8n9Lo_" title="A sign of things to come. Image courtesy royalcomo.com.au" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A sign of things to come. Image courtesy royalcomo.com.au</figcaption></figure>C&amp;L's drive into the Australian apartment market along with that of other Asian-based developers can be encapsulated by a small stretch of Chapel Street bound by Toorak Road and Alexandra Avenue.

Of the four major apartment developments in the pipeline, all aside from Capitol Grand are controlled by Asian-backed interests. While C&amp;L are preparing Royal Como, the adjoining site at 661 Chapel Street is also due for the commencement of its sales campaign. Malaysian firm Gamuda Land purchased the 1,435sqm site for $40 million with the intent of delivering an approved 30 level residential tower designed by Bird de la Coeur. Development Manager PDS Group show the project on their website as carrying 162 apartments.

In addition, fellow Malaysian developer Mitraland is <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/malaysias-mitraland-looks-to-enter-the-melbourne-apartment-market">seeking approval</a> for a 20 level residential tower expected to carry 72 apartments. Located at 649 Chapel Street, the Fender Katsalidis project is with City of Stonnington as it goes through the approvals process.
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