This apartment of 213m2 is composed with a large living room; two bedrooms and its adjoining bathrooms and a 80m2 terrace.
Built in a former hovel, the space has been entirely revisited and extended.
Although this project was caught partway through, it has been possible to significantly modify it. Behind the front door, the staircase that leads to the apartment is located. This sculptural piece that used to belong to the building has now became the neuralgic center of the living room. The guest follows it upstairs and get to discover the central space of the apartment. The staircase has been deliberately divided to reinforce the feeling of expansion obtained by the main room. The ceilings have been heightened to extend the space.
In the dual-aspect apartment alcoves are outlined by the trailing ceiling. The floor of the apartment being raised up in that place, they were voluntarily difficult to access. The committed position was to integrate this distinctive feature of the attic for an optimal use of the space.
Each of those six underneath spaces lightened by large windows accommodate a specific function: the kitchen, the office, the TV area, the visitor bathroom, the laundry room and the dressing rooms of the bedrooms.
A « machine à habiter » where those six spaces allow to escape from the main room while enjoying the magnitude of the apartment. The effect is enhanced by the layout of the oak laths that is creating a rhythm when they are opening on the alcoves. At night those laths receive light from the led and diffuse it in the room. This process is used for the lighting of the entire apartment.
The « machine à habiter » opens itself on an immense glass roof that allows to perceive the new terrace. Once on the terrace, the guest discovers a plunging view on the apartment, such as the hold of a ship. The internal structure that receives the glass roof is equipped of mobile laths assembled on pistons: at night such as a lantern it enlightens the main room, and in the day time it filters the natural light.
The bedrooms are delineated such as suites with their adjoining bathrooms.
Very little choice for the row material and the finishing touches but they are materially rich.
Only in the chilling spaces you can find a nice herringbone parquet flooring in oak, an echo to the industrial aspect of the place.
The path to circulate around the central space and the alcoves floors are surfaced with micro-terrazzo, a seal less material that contrast with the oak floor.
The fireplace made to measure in metal sheet casing, and the kitchen isle in stainless steel are two sculptural masses that animate the space.
The terrace, heightened to be in one unique level, offers a spectacular 360 view on the city. A pergola sits on the terrace to shelter the sun. Some trays and flowers suggest perfumes and colors… a composition that guides the architectural route.