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Brooke Aitken on the softer beauty of modernism

‘There can be a happy medium between a rigorous architecture and the beauty of luxurious details within the modernist plan. It’s what I describe as soft modernism,’ remarks Sydney-based architect and designer Brooke Aitken when we discuss her studio’s latest project in Kirribilli. Having lived and worked in Tokyo during '90s minimalism, and then in London for the queen of decoration, Anouska Hempel, her philosophy has emerged grounded in the architectural roots of Le Corbusier and Marcel Breuer, softly layered with culture, art and design.