This project is a thorough refurbishment of an apartment built 40 years ago. Despite its generous areas it was cluttered with walls and corridors, in a hierarchical division between the ?technical? quarters for the servants and the living areas for those ?served?. Architecture materialises the invisible social relationships of an era, and these fixed a spatial organization that was clearly at odds with the present lifestyle.
Our intervention sought to free the living area of the house, demolishing most of the walls, whilst keeping the sleeping area mostly unchanged and clearly separated, accentuated with a distinct spatial and material character.
In the living area, the spaces flow openly, around a technical box that contains storage space, heating and washing equipment, and through a sculptural wooden screen that provides visual protection from the entrance door. These spaces can be isolated with sliding doors, adding further flexibility to their use, and creating surprise as they are either integrated or separated into the adjoining spaces. In the living area ash wood is used extensively, adding warmth and texture to the spatial clarity. Certain spaces, such as the study are saturated in this atmosphere, using integrated furniture into the walls. The kitchen area is defined by a strong yellow colour on the floor, compensating for the cold north light.
We enter the private bedroom area, through a corridor, whose length is visually duplicated by a large mirror, placed at its extremity, opposite the entrance door. This area is dominated by white surfaces and enclosed spaces. In the master bedroom, the entrance to the bedroom is ingeniously integrated into the closet, like a secret door that closes automatically after entering.
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