Villa F

Vienna, Austria

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Marine and World Heritage Centre “Wachau”

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Villa A

Villa F

Vienna, Austria

Firm

Najjar & Najjar

Type

Residential › Private House

YEAR

2008

BUDGET

$100K - 500K

A young successful IT entrepreneur commissioned the architects to design the interior of his villa in Vienna that was built in the early 80ties. Being not very pleased with the conventional setting of the plan he invited a handful of Architects and Designers to a competition. The Architects succeeded with their outstanding spatial concept. Since the entrepreneur often works at home and recipes his clients there, the architect took his desire for representation and proposed a design that features his marked preference for cutting edge technologies packed in high-end designs. Their proposal was an interior design that is affiliated to the client’s fondness for Lamborghini and Macs.The spatial concept was to break up façade and interior walls of the conventional plan of the building, creating views through interior and towards the garden and landscape. Letting customized furniture flowing through the open space, connecting his working space with a lounge area, again with a bar and a stone gladded kitchen. Many technical devices, such as screens are integrated in the furniture popping and turning out just by clicking the mouse of the notebook. Floor, wall and ceiling are unified with the same material, “corian”, a composite of marble powder and fibreglass. A huge aquarium with a delicately generated computer graphic marks a blue contrast in the white. LED lighting and sound systems are controlled from the computer, merging the digital world with the physical interior environment.The original building plan was conventional with different functions and areas being located in separate rooms. The façade was opened through conventional windows. The architect’s intention was to break through the rooms in order to embrace various functions in one open living area, accommodating the various functions on different levels and areas, always balancing their functional particularities within an open space. The challenge was to find a common architectural language in forms and materials, yet allocating various characteristics for different functions. Therefore the architects applied methodologies of yacht design that challenge the limited space in boats.In order to visually overcome the relative low ceiling, same or similar materials where used all around the space. For instance ceiling wall and floor are partly unified with “corian”, a composite of marble powder and fibreglass. Corian is mostly used for work surfaces in kitchen. The application of corian as cladding material for walls, ceiling and floor in such a dimension is new of its kind. Computer generated models were required for the production. The data was directly sent from the architects to the computer to the automated cutting and milling machines in the shops. Most of the custom made furniture is integrated into architectural elements as walls, ceilings and floors. Their shapes are partly curved, leading from one function to the other. This keeps the areas and the environment tidy and appearing spaciously. These functional areas are also reflected in the false ceiling that is suspended over the bar and cuts along the same edge on the ground. The bar slops to the ground, merging with the edge that separates the two levels in the living and dining area. This is enhanced by the two floor materials corian and black marble (Nero Marquina).On the intersection of the two levels a large 6 meter long white leather sofa invites you to lounge in front of the chimney. On the other side of the sofa a table merges from the ground defining the working area. Also the technical devices are integrated into the architecture. No black screens are visible if TV isn’t demanded. But once desired, huge screen roles down the wall and a heavy beamer drops down the ceiling. The 4.5 meter long salty water aquarium with a capacity of 2.5 cubic meter / 2.5 tons and all the equipment is imbedded in the wall. A rigid steel structure carries the loads. Water temperature and treatment as the feeding of fish is controlled by the computer. Openings for revision are invisibly integrated. The kitchen is completely hidden behind stone panels with a free standing cooking block in the middle with special fittings and anchorages to bear the heavy load of the 2cm stone cladding. The stone “Labador”, a sort of Canadian granite glimmer in different light.The sleeping room is designed with similar features. Bed, shelf and sofa are merged with the wall, all covered with a white leather skin, unifying elegance. The floor covered with wooden planks / “wenge”, maintaining noblesse of a luxury boat. Other surfaces a glossy polished. Lying in bed you have the pleasure to watch a movie. By pressing a bottom a leather panel carrying a flat screen flaps out the bottom part of the bed. Just three meters from there you can enjoy a bath in the Jacuzzi, overlooking the breathtaking view of the surrounding landscape. The concept for the lightning is to combine indirect illumination from behind glass panels that provides a sufficient brightness with direct spotlights for highlighting specific functional allocated areas. Moreover LED lightning bands alongside of various edges mark the shaped ceilings and furniture. Instantly you can change color and mood of the environment.The translucent glass panels are printed with visuals that are generated by the renowned artist Helmut de Fado. The abstract images refer to the architectural concept, representing a liquefied and floating environment