Constructed in 1975, the Toorak College Chapel was built with the benevolent support of the School’s dedicated Collegians and is a special place on the campus described as containing the “spirit of the school”. Nexus Designs was engaged to develop a new vision for the building to commemorate it’s 40  anniversary and they immediately identified the need to pay respect to the traditions and contributions of the school community. By transforming the space into a 21th century interior they have created a place for reflection and celebration to be enjoyed by present and future generations.

The Nexus Designs Interiors team envisioned a light and uplifting space that created a sense of warmth, calm and welcome to all visitors. The existing interior finishes were heavy and dark, with any light in the space quickly being absorbed into the walls, floors and ceiling. Their solution of combining oak timber floors and brick

walls with a fresh white paint finish immediately transformed the existing interior into a light-filled, ethereal space. By simplifying the originally separated floorplate into one level, they were able to remove the traditional hierarchy and limitations of how the space could be used, further increasing the openness of the Chapel.

The simplicity and repetition of the Billiani Doll chairs in bleached beech, further enhances the overall ambience of the Chapel by moving away from the traditional idea of pew seating. These well-designed Italian chairs provide a flexibility not possible with church pews and allow the school to reconfigure the space as required. The brilliant blue carpet runner pays homage to the school colour and leads to the altar and wall hanging ensuring that the visitor always identifies with the true purpose of the chapel.