THE TIES THAT BIND
“WE CARE MORE ABOUT THE DESIGN OF A BUILDING AND GETTING IT OUT THERE AND UP, THAN ABOUT THE PROCESSES OF BUSINESS, AND THAT’S NEVER GOING TO CHANGE.”
– NONDA KATSALIDIS
There’s a touch of back and forth banter between Nonda Katsalidis and Karl Fender when you talk to them both at the same time. “Did you want to answer that last question?” asks Fender. “No, you did,” replies Katsalidis. “I don’t want to answer it again; we don’t want to repeat ourselves.” “You would have had a different take on it,” offers Fender. “I think you’re right,” concedes his long-time collaborator. “See?” says Fender. “We always just argue.”
But this is just the surface. Beneath it lies a rock solid foundation. “There’s a basic rapport and trust,” explains Katsalidis. “And empathy. We relate really well to each other, always have.”
They also now have family ties, with Fender’s daughter and Katsalidis’ son providing them with a mutual granddaughter.
And those personal ties cement one of the most successful and highly regarded practices currently operating in Australia, with a list of standout and ground-breaking projects that have changed the very fabric of the cities in which they are located. Eureka Tower in Melbourne, soon to be joined by Australia 108, Garangula Gallery
