Floreasca 2425 Penthouse is a 188 sqm duplex residence occupying the 24th and 25th floors of a residential tower in Bucharest’s Floreasca district. The project was developed over a three-year period and began at the initial planning and partitioning stage, allowing the interior architecture to be defined before the final layout was fixed.
The main challenge was to create a sense of generosity within a relatively compact duplex footprint. The programme includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms, together with an open living, dining and kitchen area. Most of the apartment has a ceiling height of 2.8 metres, while the main living room opens vertically through both floors to a height of 6.2 metres. This double-height volume became the spatial centre of the project.
Concept and spatial strategy
Rather than treating the 24th and 25th floors as two separate levels, the design was organised around the void above the living room. The 6.2-metre-high space creates a direct visual relationship between the two floors and gives the apartment a scale that would not otherwise be possible within its 188 sqm footprint.
The upper level wraps around this central volume through a transparent glass balustrade, maintaining uninterrupted views between the floors. From the bedrooms and circulation areas above, the living room remains visually present, while from the lower level the upper-floor gallery becomes part of the composition of the room.
The sequence between compressed and expanded spaces was deliberately used throughout the interior. The 2.8-metre-high areas provide a more intimate domestic scale, while the transition into the double-height living room changes the perception of the apartment. The contrast between these two conditions gives the interior a clear hierarchy without relying on excessive partitions.
Natural light is central to this experience. Floor-to-ceiling glazing follows much of the perimeter of the apartment and extends through both levels in the living area. Sheer curtains soften the daylight, while warmer textile panels introduce colour and help frame the height of the space.
Materiality and execution
The material palette was developed around warm timber, muted mineral finishes, glass and darker metal elements. Oak flooring laid in a herringbone pattern provides continuity between the two levels, while walnut-toned wall panels and fluted timber surfaces introduce a more tactile layer throughout the interior.
In the living room, these warmer materials are balanced by light upholstered furniture, pale stone surfaces and soft grey finishes. The television wall is treated as an architectural composition rather than a standalone furniture element, combining timber panelling with a long suspended stone-finished console.
The kitchen deliberately shifts towards a darker and more graphic expression. Full-height cabinetry, dark worktops and integrated appliances form a continuous backdrop, while the two islands are articulated by horizontal lines of warm integrated lighting. Mirrored surfaces extend the space visually and are crossed by fine bronze-toned profiles, creating changing reflections of the kitchen, living room and façade throughout the day.
Lighting was designed as part of the architecture. Recessed tracks and discreet technical fixtures provide the functional layer, while suspended compositions mark specific moments within the plan. In the double-height living space, a vertical pendant installation reinforces the 6.2-metre volume and can be experienced differently from the lower floor and the upper gallery.
The staircase follows the same principle of visual lightness. Timber treads are combined with a dark structural frame and transparent glass balustrades, keeping the connection between the two levels open rather than enclosing the circulation.
The two bedrooms adopt a quieter language, using softer colours, textured wall finishes and warmer lighting. This creates a deliberate contrast with the more expressive common spaces while maintaining the same material continuity found throughout the apartment.
A measured approach to sustainability was integrated into the project through the use of durable materials and furniture selected for long-term use, rather than short-lived decorative solutions. LED lighting is used throughout the apartment, with integrated control systems and programmable lighting scenes helping to adapt energy use to different times of day and activities. Smart-home technologies are integrated into the residence to manage lighting and other functions, while the extensive glazed façades maximise the use of natural daylight.
Developed from the initial space-planning stage through to furniture, lighting and detailing, Floreasca 2425 Penthouse uses the vertical dimension as its main architectural resource. Within 188 sqm, the project transforms the relationship between two floors into the defining experience of the home, balancing the openness of the 6.2-metre-high living space with the more intimate scale of the private rooms.
