Set on a sloping plot in the neighborhood of Virum, just north of Copenhagen, the
suburban Vigi House dating back to the 60’s has now been completely redesigned and pared back to its elegant and simple structure, emphasizing the spacious
qualities within.
While playing on the virtues of an open plan layout, Vigi House features distinctive architectural elements, serving as thoughtful moments and monoliths that break up the space to create a stimulating flow. Now completely remodeled, a neutral color palette and lightly rendered walls allow for a minimalistic and modern aesthetic, whilst highlighting aspects from the original build.
Originally, quite a lot of different materials where in play, which we wanted to tone down to create a more coherent and simplified space. We decided to instead work with a few quality materials like natural oak wood flooring and a warm color palette that creates harmony. This way, we do the open plan layout justice and play on the spacious feeling of the home.
“From the beginning, the house had a lot of architectural qualities like the interconnected levels, which allowed us to create an interesting space with a double-height fireplace room and dining room, overlooking not only the terrace and garden, but also the kitchen and the stairs going up” – Peter Eland, Norm Architects
While surely opting for a feeling of unity and interconnection throughout the home, we still wanted to work with the different levels, as they create spectacular moments in the architecture and form a seamless transition from one area to another. Now, existing architectural elements such as the brick foundations, timber cladding and the split-level layout has been preserved and remodeled to help create a modern mid-century, minimalist home.
Shared spaces are opened-up and merged to help create a flow throughout the home, whilst architectural monoliths allow for private escapes and gallery nooks within the interior. High-ceilings, open spaces and large black steel windows help frame the natural surroundings and enhance the continuity of space.
When entering the home, one can look all the way up to a grand skylight that isn’t just allowing for natural light to fill up the space and create a sense of openness – it also discloses that there is more to the home than your average suburban villa.
Bringing together the inherent warmth from wood and the tactility of textile, the bedroom is a tranquil haven. When removing clutter and excess ornamentation, the thoughtful details and materials of the curated interior stand out in a subtle way.
We touch the inside of our homes with our bodies and in return the spaces we dwell in touch us. They move us and have a great impact on the way we live – just like the weather and our natural surroundings do. It is inside our homes that we wake up, start the day, and have our morning rituals. It is where we nourish our bodies, are intimate, restore and find time to relax. Hence, we should strive to create the best possible framework for a comfort - able life to unfold. We consider the bathroom to be a great place to start.
The entirety of the two bathrooms have therefore been covered with tiles, playing on tactility, drawing in nature, and creating a spa-like atmosphere. This way, we allow for the inherent qualities of the natural materials to become ever more present and create a calm atmosphere that resonates with us on a deeper level.
Team:
Architects: Norm Architects
Architect & Partner: Peter Eland & Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen
Architect: Mette Simson Degn
Photographers: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen & Sandie Lykke Nolsøe
