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Home profile: Rees Townhouse by Claude Megson
We had the pleasure of capturing the Noho Move Chair with photographer Samuel Hartnett in the Rees Townhouse, designed by architect Claude Megson and built in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1974.
Claude Megson was a well-regarded New Zealand architect early in his career, which spanned from the 1960s to 1994. The extensive documentation he kept of his work went missing after his death—however, a handful of his residential buildings are still standing for us to appreciate.
The Rees Townhouse is made up of intimate, interconnected spaces—a characteristic trait of Megson's architecture—which lent itself so well to capturing the Noho Move Chair.
The townhouse is built into a steep hill, rooms are made up of tall spaces rising out of the ground. These are connected inside with stairs, gaps in the walls and openings, giving interesting views from one room to another. They’re connected to the outdoors through skylights and windows which let in sun and views of the dense green bush.
Noho Move looks great at the dining table and also in the work-from-home space
We love how the sun shines through to highlight Noho Move, bringing out the delicate texture of our auxetic shell. The greenery outside helps to offset the industrial materials the house is made from—raw concrete blocks, steel tubing and fibre cement panels. Because the house is nearly 50 years old, nature has grown into those materials to soften them even more.
The Rees Townhouse is made up of intimate, interconnected spaces—a characteristic trait of Megson's architecture—which lent itself so well to capturing the noho move chair.
The townhouse is built into a steep hill, rooms are made up of tall spaces rising out of the ground. These are connected inside with stairs, gaps in the walls and openings, giving interesting views from one room to another. They’re connected to the outdoors through skylights and windows which let in sun and views of the dense green bush.
Photography by Sam Hartnett
