Culture
Abandoned mansion turns into multi-sensory journey
Rone was commissioned by the mansion’s developer to paint the inside of the house before it is demolished at the end of August.
Image courtesy of: My Modern Met
Sitting forgotten about for 30 years, the formerly decadent mansion in Melbourne was the setting for Australian street-artist, Rone’s, project called, “Empire”.
For over a year, Rone worked alongside a team of interior designers, lighting specialists, and set designers to transform this abandoned 1930s Art Deco estate into a multi sensory experience for the public.
Throughout its history, the house served as a family mansion, a research facility, a children’s hospital, and a luxury hotel.
Image courtesy of: Lonely Planet
Known for large-scale portraits that adorn buildings worldwide, in his own country Rone decided to paint an evocative “Jane Doe” on the crumbling walls of the multi-story building. Each of the twelve bedrooms seems to take place during a different time of year pointing towards a “theme of the seasons”.
Walking through the rooms creates connections… between beauty and ruin, youth and decay, and old and new. Without an actual narrative anywhere, visitors are encouraged to create their own storylines!
With each part linked to a specific season, as you walk through you notice the distinct marking of time.
Image courtesy of: The Vale Magazine
This wouldn’t have had the same effect if it weren’t for interior stylist Carly Spooner. With the responsibility of styling the twelve rooms, each room emits a different mood. Spooner used over 500 antique pieces, including a grand piano, from the 1920s and 1930s which were sourced over many months.
Loose Leaf Design Studio was assigned the job of thematically linking the seasons with floral installations. For summer, there are cascading vines, fallen leaves represent autumn, bare branches imply that winter has arrived, and fresh greenery signifies springtime.
The site’s owner, Len Warson has been Rone’s fan since 2011. As an avid collector for the past several years, Warson wanted something intriguing painted on the decaying building. Interestingly enough, the project was kept a secret until it was unveiled.
Image courtesy of: The Vale Magazine
Rone hopes that when visitors walk through the mansion, they pay attention to the past lives that have personally inhabited the structure.
In his own words, Rone explains, “I want people to walk in and feel like they can explore the possibilities of what might or might not have happened here. ‘Empire’ is about offering audiences the chance to create their own story.”
Rone's "Empire"
Perhaps the intention of “Empire” is to pay homage to the Australia that’s vanishing. With more than 2,000 people a week moving to Melbourne, backyards are becoming more and more rare, and interiors are much more streamlined.
Rone says, “I’m of a generation where I remember houses like this, going to visit my grandparent’s friends. There’s a ‘good room’ that no one sits in, with things gathering dust. But you don’t really see it anymore. Who has pianos?”
Pretty sad if you stop to think about it!
