VILLA XXIII | FGR Architects

Located just below the historically significant site once frequented by Australia’s early Impressionist painters, Villa XXIII by FGR Architects is a bold and refined response to landscape, light and legacy. Situated 10km northeast of Melbourne’s CBD within the Griffin-designed Mount Eagle estate, the house draws from a rich tradition of artistic and architectural vision unique to Eaglemont.

Spanning two steeply sloping allotments, the residence stretches low and long across the hillside, its horizontal expression carefully attuned to the contours of the land, neighbouring sightlines and mature vegetation. The design is organised into three distinct zones: a private wing containing bedrooms, studies and an expansive kitchen/living area; a central breezeway that offers outdoor entertaining, a garden retreat and weather-protected lounge; and a wellness-focused west wing with a gym, guest suite and direct connection to the infinity-edge pool.

Material selections are enduring and restrained—travertine, concrete, glass and stone—applied with precision to create a sense of weight, elegance and permanence. Interiors feature 3.1m ceilings, full-height glazing, floating travertine stairs and a circular skylight that animates a verdigris marble feature wall.

This is a house of spatial clarity and sculptural subtlety. While reflecting modernist European principles, Villa XXIII remains deeply grounded in its Australian setting—an immersive, place-specific home shaped by topography, vegetation and light.