Occupying the 24th and 25th floors of a residential tower in Bucharest’s Floreasca district, Floreasca 2425 Penthouse is a 188-square-metre duplex developed over three years. Cristian Patrascu Studio became involved during the initial planning and partitioning stage, allowing the interior architecture to shape the layout rather than adapt to a predetermined plan.
The apartment contains two bedrooms and two bathrooms alongside an open living, dining, and kitchen area. While most rooms have a ceiling height of 2.8 metres, the living room extends through both floors to reach 6.2 metres. This double-height volume becomes the organising element of the residence, creating a sense of spatial generosity without increasing its footprint. The upper level wraps around the living room, while a transparent glass balustrade maintains views between the two floors, allowing the living area to remain visible from the bedrooms and circulation spaces above.
Light, openness, and spatial efficiency
The interior alternates between compressed and expanded spaces. The 2.8-metre-high bedrooms and ancillary areas maintain a more intimate domestic scale, while movement into the double-height living room produces a significant change in volume. Floor-to-ceiling glazing extends along much of the apartment’s perimeter and rises through both storeys around the living area, providing extensive natural light. Sheer curtains diffuse incoming light, while heavier textile panels provide greater control when required. The staircase is similarly designed to preserve openness. Timber treads, a dark structural frame, and glass balustrades minimise visual obstruction between the two floors.
A material palette of timber, mineral surfaces, glass, and metal
Material choices centre on timber, stone-like mineral surfaces, glass, and metal. Oak herringbone flooring provides continuity between levels, complemented by walnut-toned wall panels and fluted timber surfaces. In the living room, pale upholstery and mineral finishes contrast with the darker timber. The television wall integrates panelling and a long suspended stone-finished console rather than introducing additional freestanding furniture.
The kitchen adopts a darker palette, with full-height cabinetry, integrated appliances, and dark worktops forming a continuous surface. Two islands incorporate linear lighting, while mirrored elements crossed by bronze-toned profiles reflect the surrounding spaces and extend the perceived depth of the room.
The bedrooms use the same material language more quietly, combining textured wall finishes, softer colours, and warmer lighting. This continuity limits the number of competing finishes while giving private and communal spaces distinct atmospheres.
Lighting as part of the architecture
Artificial lighting is integrated into the interior rather than treated as a separate decorative layer. Recessed tracks and discreet technical fixtures provide general and task lighting, while selected suspended elements mark important spaces.
A vertical pendant composition occupies the double-height living room, using its full 6.2-metre height and providing different views from the lower floor and upper gallery.
LED lighting is used throughout the apartment, reducing electricity demand compared with conventional lighting technologies. Programmable lighting scenes and integrated controls allow illumination to respond to different activities and times of day rather than operating every fixture at the same output.
Technology and long-term use
The project’s sustainability measures are relatively restrained and are primarily associated with daylight, efficient lighting, and integrated controls rather than changes to the tower’s building systems. Smart home technologies manage lighting and other residential functions, while extensive glazing brings natural daylight deep into the interior. Materials and furniture were also selected with long-term use in mind.
By using the vertical volume and maintaining visual connections between floors, the project creates a sense of openness within its 188-square-metre floor area.
