This project is a renovation of an apartment designed by Christian de Portzamparc, which is a duplex in a 1990s building. While the original layout did work, it lacked modernity and the succession of internal walls and partitions spoilt the potential of this exceptional apartment.
The bay window which spans over two floors offers continuity and light to the whole space. This starts on the lower level which comprises of a living room as well as two bedrooms overlooking an internal courtyard.
Our intervention was intended to make the apartment wheelchair-accessible whilst offering spaces that are both practical and stylish. The driving principles of the re-model included the fluidity of spaces, the intelligent use of light, and the user’s comfort. It began with the conception of a functional central space from which all the other rooms stem and interlink.
By removing the internal walls between the entrance and the kitchen, an open space was created across the lower level. All the rooms on this level revolve around a fixed pillar designed to become the apartment’s centrepiece. The open-plan kitchen faces the living room which allows natural light from the bay window to reach the entrance of the apartment. The semi-transparent bookcase, acting both as a display and a privacy screen, effectively partitions the space while allowing direct communication from the lounge or entrance to be maintained.
In the upstairs master bedroom, a double-height vertical opening was added. This not only bathes the room in light but also allows the occupant to see and enjoy to the greenery of the park directly from their bed.
The wall of the second upstairs room was opened up in order to create a mezzanine with panoramic views of the park. The space is secured with a powder-coated steel railing reminiscent of the bookcase in the downstairs library. The room effortlessly becomes a private office thanks to sliding doors installed along the railing. Designed and intended as a mutable space, the room can in turn conveniently transform into a guest bedroom by pushing the desk back under the bookshelves and unfolding the sofa bed.
The materials used for the project were carefully selected based on safety considerations and ease of maintenance. In direct correlation with the park’s natural landscape, plain and subtle tones were used for all inside finishes. The large and continuous white walls guide natural light from the bay window throughout the apartment, whilst grey tones were used to highlight the ‘central pillar’ which gives the impression of supporting the weight of the mezzanine.
Thanks to the simplicity of the integrated customized furniture together with the purity of the products’ features, this apartment offers living spaces that are both practical and elegant in which interior design and architecture humbly highlight the quality of existing spaces.
Material Used :
1. Flooring: Porcelain stoneware, Pav. Blocks 5.0 Grey 120x60, Iris Ceramica
2. Interior lighting: Warnished steel and aluminium, Spokes 2, Foscarini
3. Interior lighting: Wall-celling lamp black painted aluminium structure, F39G0101 Pivot, Fabbian
4. Interior heating: steel radiator, ZANA Horizontal ZH-2, Vasco
5. Interior lighting: Delta light Midispystrimless in 83020, Delta
6. Bathroom wall: Ceramic surface, Mosa Lines, Mosa
7. Bathroom wall: Grescerame, 300x150 Onice Grigio Lucidato Shiny, Ariostea
8. Shower set: Polished steel, BAR 02, CEA
9. Deck mounted mixer: Polished steel, INV06, INV01, CEA
10. Swithes: Duroplastic, LS990 in light grey, JUNG.
11. Shower screen: Shower screen with sliding door, Stainless steel, Atenea, Lasser
