Firm architects transforms a previously unsuitable attic space in Amsterdam into a stylish loft. A few years before, a previous owner raised the roof some fifty centimeters. After that the space was sold as a renovation project.
The client desired an "honest, masculine and architectural space" with as much usable area as possible. Firm architects interprets this into the concept of ‘a new elevation on an old basis.’
The entire space exhibits a cut at a height of 95 centimeters above the floor. The height has both a practical and a more poetic reason. On the one hand, it is the height of kitchen cabinets and handrails, and on the other hand, it is the central point of the male body.
Above the cut, everything is new, sleek, carefully finished and equipped with insulated walls. Below the line is kept old or a reflection of it. Bare, rough brick walls combined with dark mirrors and unfinished zinc sheets.
A custom-made staircase of perforated zinc is suspended 95 centimeters above the floor. The staircase connects the apartment with the roof terrace. Daylight falls from the roof hatch through the perforations.
The living room has a glass sliding door over the entire width of the building. The profile is concealed in the walls, floor and ceiling, creating an almost frameless facade of glass.
Spaces
The open and bright living room is connected to the master bedroom by a large wooden sliding wall. A television and closet space are located behind 900 mm wide, custom-made doors.
To make the space appear as large as possible, Firm architects chose to place one volume in the room. This reflective box contains all the functionalities, such as the bathroom, the toilet, the laundry room and the guest room. The access is made invisible by a pivot door in the same materials.
