The unique view of the old post office building, the green city park and the many docked boats on the quay of the Durme motivated the clients to take the courageous step to exchange their large villa in the green outskirts for a new home in the heart of the bustling city. The floor plan of the existing apartment (88m2) was formed by a series of blindly connected rooms. A large entrance hall wasted precious space and the enclosed kitchen split the beautiful view into two.

The discovery of a hidden concrete skeleton provided an endless amount of design options and made it possible to project a new contemporary and highly functional plan on top of the existing beams and columns structure. The absence of structural walls allowed us to add oxygen and light to the existing stifling plan. A new floor plan introduces three new volumes placed within the orthogonal system of beams and columns. These volumes do not have the ambition to mask the structural elements.

The subtle distance between de volumes and the structure strengthens the expressive power of the structural elements. Between the new volumes there is one contiguous space that connects the two façades and fills the apartment with light. The volumes are characterized by a variation of wall thicknesses in which functional niches with different dimensions and functions can be found. Some niches are open, others are partially filled with furniture or are completely closed.

The application of natural and stimulating materials creates a powerful and vibrant interior. The room-long floor planks translate the existing orthogonal structural ceiling-grid in the floor covering. The marble granules in the terrazzo elements reveal the used color palette. In addition to the colors of the floor and wall, the colors of the applied steel windows, furniture in solid walnut, brass faucets and solid bronze door fittings can be found.

Material Used:

1. Dinesen Douglas floor

2. Dinesen bench

3. Terrazzo

4. Fsb bronze hardware

5. ODS Jansen

6. lime plaster