Tower apartment with culture on the doorstep and views out the window

1703/8 Kavanagh Street, Southbank
$2 million+
3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms 2 car spaces

Auction 12.30pm, August 22
Inspect TBA Saturday
Agent Greg Hocking Holdsworth, 8644 5500, Xavier Murtagh, 0423 332 278

Ballet, theatre, music, galleries and restaurants are outside the front door of the Triptych apartment building in Southbank and upstairs in Apartment 1703 the view is of Government House, the Dandenong Ranges and the Arts Centre spire.

Melbourne immediately looks glamorous, interesting and accessible from here and it is access to this cultural richness that this inner-city tower offers.

Triptych, in an area with many imposing apartment buildings, holds its own thanks to a dramatic facade with a garden wall and another wall feature protruding colours. Huge timber doors open into a foyer dotted with bright pieces of art; the developers haven’t gone for the bland on bland many foyers are blessed with and the apartments are built around a light-filled void that adjoin communal living spaces.

Apartment 1703 is on the eastern face of the building. Entry is via an open-weave metal security door into the timber-floored foyer. It’s an unusual touch in a tower. Then, another timber door leads into the apartment proper. Straight ahead is the large open-plan kitchen, living and dining room.

Simple off-white walls, timber floors and a wall of windows provide an understated backdrop that is all a room with a spectacular view needs. The layout also ensures that the view is open to all, whether they’re cooking, sitting on a sofa or at a dining table.

The kitchen is a mixture of taupe and white with Miele appliances and there’s also a large butler’s pantry.

Near the windows, a door opens into the main bedroom – the only one of the three to share the spectacular view. This would be a lovely spot to wake up – open the curtains and there is Melbourne waiting for you to get out among it. Large, with tan carpet and a wall of built-in wardrobes, the bedroom also has a huge en suite with double vanity, a bath and walk-in shower.

The remaining two bedrooms open from a hallway near the front door. Both are a good size and have borrowed light from the outside corridor. They each have built-in wardrobes and one has a built-in desk. They share a good-sized bathroom and there’s a laundry opposite.

Triptych has a pool and gym and is walking distance to the city and Southbank.

Room for improvement: The most challenging aspect of the apartment is the borrowed light in the two smaller bedrooms.

Need to know: Last traded August, 2010, $1.5 million; Highest priced apartment 807/1 Queensbridge Square, March 2015, $1,810,000.
Recent sales:1411/33 City Road, Southbank, March 2015, $500,000; 10/51-55 City Road, Southbank, March 2015, $600,000; 706/163 City Road, Southbank, June 2015, $474,000.