Exploring Melbourne - A Visit to the Lyon Housemuseum

While I was in Melbourne I didn't get the chance to visit too many pieces of architecture. That could be seen as a little strange considering the eclectic mix of art, design and architecture in the city, but time went quickly and next thing you know I was back on the plane! Saying that, one day when I was having a meeting I was recommended to visit the Lyon Housemuseum in Kew, an inner suburb of Melbourne, that was said to have a house tour on certain days and be very well designed. After a bit of research I booked on the tour and visited, it was a really great experience and I wanted to share a few pictures here of the interior.

The Lyon Housemuseum is owned by architect and art collector Corbett Lyon.He designed the space with a concept of fusing art and personal living under one roof, so although his family live there, you can take a tour where his collection of art is shown and walk around the other open spaces during the day. I was lucky enough to be guided by his wife Yueji who is very knowledgable and was able to explain all the details about the building. I look forward to revisiting soon as the construction of a public art gallery attached to the residence is currently under way and will result in one of the largest art locations in Melbourne when completed in mid-2018.

The whole building is designed around a two storey white cube at the front of the building and a two storey black cube at the rear. These cubes house the paintings, sculpture, video work and installations, the family areas also revolve around these spaces. Although there are many pieces of great art, what was intriguing to me was to see how the so called "normal" idea of a living space has been broken down, an unusual mixture between public and private, which makes the sense given the concept Corbett Lyon has in mind.

I think it's a unique concept to open up your living space in such a way. Not only is this property open in the physical sense, with surprisingly few barriers between each space, it's also open in a sense that the public can view it and enjoy the art in a neutral setting. For an architect such as Corbett these tours are sure to be invaluable, giving him knowledge on how humans look at art in a space and flow in an open environment. Overall a beautiful property that's worth visiting if you ever visit Melbourne. Here are a few photos taken inside, I was especially interested in capturing some of the details and objects scattered around. Enjoy.

Click here to read more about the Lyon Housemuseum on their website →

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More from my Travels in Japan:

Exploring Melbourne - A Visit to the Tapestry Workshop
Abstract Rocks in Wilsons Promontory National Park in Victoria, Australia
Exploring Los Angeles - A Visit to the Neutra VDL Research House
Exploring Wilsons Promontory National Park in Victoria, Australia
Exploring Los Angeles - A Visit to the Getty Centre and Museum
Exploring Los Angeles - A Visit to the Stahl House by Pierre Koenig

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