The blend of marble, concrete and glass in this town house creates a striking, modernist home that maximizes light and space, featuring inventive custom detailing tailored to the client’s lifestyle.
Originally comprised of a stack of small rooms on top of one another, the chief concern was to draw light down through each storey of the house. This was achieved by the removal of the original floors, ceilings and internal dividing walls, replacing them with concrete beams overlaid with toughened glass floors in areas, creating a striking design, but also a more social, more open-plan series of split level rooms. A central shaft running through the whole building brings light right down to the ground floor and guides visitors upward toward the main living quarters.
The concrete beams create a shadow play on white walls and is a theme echoed in the construction of a suspended metal staircase, which allows access to the main living areas and rooftop terrace. Strong and sculptural in form, the slender profile of the painted steel rods and the use of glass treads ensure it remains light in feel.
Adding luxury to the mix of concrete and glass is the use of carrara marble for flooring and bathrooms, cut into a custom tile size to add texture and pattern. Original historic wooden apertures were retained and restored, softening the contemporary linear volumes.
Custom storage and furniture were envisaged as architectural details; each of these being additional visual keys to link the concrete beams throughout the property. The kitchen features durable cast concrete shelving and worktops, the living area is defined by a low level concrete shelf running the length of the space and houses artwork and an entertainment centre, whilst the bedroom features a cast concrete bed frame.
Further custom details reflect the client’s love of entertaining – a pull out dining table can be extended out to seat up to 20 guests – thereby connecting the living and kitchen spaces, but rolls directly under the lounge floor to clear the area for more informal parties.
At the top of the house a glass-floored mezzanine provides a sunny nook for moments of quiet relaxation, and leads onto a roof terrace where a stunning sea view makes al fresco drinks a real luxury.
