How a nightclub baron turned a gutted heritage building into a sculptural home
Camillo and Monika Ipolliti have done more than most big-name developers to put their stamp on Melbourne’s landscape.
As the founders of legendary venues such as Revolver, Cookie and the Toff in Town, the nightclub impresario and visual artist have played a part in crafting the city’s cultural fabric, including helping pioneer the notion of the “vertical laneway” at Swanston Street’s Curtin House.
The tri-level townhouse is full of colour.Credit: Jarrod Barnes
It’s little wonder that the risk-taking, style-forward Ipollitis – let’s call them the Medicis of Melbourne – extended their vision to their own unique city home: a heritage-listed townhouse smack-bang in the middle of the CBD.
Now on the market, 128-130 Little Lonsdale Street is a singular proposition from a colourful couple.
The grand three-level Victorian-era Leitrim Hotel was constructed in 1888 for the Victoria Brewing Company in the heart of the city’s notorious red-light district. It’s subsequently had quite the life. A Chinese cabinetmaker later occupied the site until the 1920s, and it was converted into offices in the 1980s.
Monika encountered the building – “One of the most beautiful in the CBD, and we have a lot,” she explained– purely by chance in 2008. She and Camillo had just finished renovations on their North Balwyn home when a chance left-hand turn driving through the city revealed the “for sale” sign.
Monika Ippoliti has put her stamp on her Little Lonsdale St townhouse. Credit: Jarrod Barnes
“My husband absolutely hated me for a minute,” she said, “because we’d just finished this perfect house, and then I went and upended everything again.”
Dealing with a heritage building requires time and patience. It took two-and-a-half years to receive planning approvals, even though the building had essentially been gutted behind its ornate, well-preserved boom period facade.
The interior was a shabby blank canvas. On the bottom floor, an awkward configuration meant that the street-facing front shop (left over from its hotel era) left the rear of the building inaccessible from the front entrance.
Planning permits for the renovation took two-and-a-half years. Credit: Jarrod Barnes
Working with architect Phillip Schemnitz – the Ippolitis’ go-to designer for their projects, including Cookie – they added walls, stairs and a lightwell that extends through all three floors.
“It’s gorgeous,” Monika explained. “You stand on the ground floor and look all the way up. It’s a sculptural, spatial feature. Pretty much everything else you see inside was added by us, including the European oak and the Calacatta marble.”
Towards the rear laneway, which has roller door access for parking, they’ve created an inviting bluestone-paved courtyard.
“We love to sit out there, in this vintage space where you look up and see the modern towers,” Monika said. “It’s really something.”
The “Little Lon” area has evolved from 19th-century brothels and opium dens to peak modern Melbourne.
The home sits opposite Wesley Place, an inviting patch of green in the city landscape featuring two trees listed on the “exceptional tree” register, including one of Australia’s oldest olive trees. It’s also home to Caretaker’s Cottage, named the best bar in Australasia in last year’s World’s 50 Best Bars list.
“Matt, one of the owners, used to work for us, and we spend a bit of time there,” Monika said.
“One of the wonderful things about where we live is stepping out onto the street into the middle of everything. It’s a different experience when you walk everywhere. We have a sheepdog who knows every centimetre of the city.”
The home was a blank canvas when the renovation began.Credit: Jarrod Barnes
Camillo still runs Chapel Street institution Revolver, but the couple are moving to Byron Bay to be closer to their children and grandchildren. “We’re sad to go, but life moves on,” Monika said.
Selling agent Oliver Hay from Cushman & Wakefield said the property’s Capital City zoning gives the new owner enviable flexibility.
“It represents one of the most incredible east-end trophy freeholds we have ever had the privilege of offering to market,” he said.
“The unique three-storey city townhouse currently offers autonomous residential city living with the ability to be transformed into the ultimate family office HQ or have a combination of both retail, office and residential. Buildings like this in the CBD seldom exist.”
This article was originally published by Domain.com.au. Reproduced with permission.