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      Six renovated Parisian apartments in historical Haussmann-era buildings

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      Period details are mixed with contemporary interventions inside these renovated apartments in Paris, built in the mid-19th century during Georges-Eugène Haussmann’s reconstruction of the French capital.

      In his role as the prefect of the Seine département under Napoleon III, Baron Haussmann was responsible for creating the network of boulevards that still define the city’s urban landscape today.
      The homogenous apartment buildings flanking these boulevards were designed to strict guidelines, all made from cream-coloured stone with a steep four-sided mansard roof and no more than six storeys.
      Although Haussmann was less prescriptive about the building’s interiors, they generally feature high ceilings and parquet floors alongside elaborate mouldings and boiserie.
      Read on for six examples of how architects and interior designers have brought these apartments into the 21st century, including a book lover’s loft and two flats combined to form a family home in the Marais.

      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with minimalist interiors, concrete kitchens and marble-lined bathrooms.
      Photo by Salem MostefaouiWood Ribbon apartment by Toledano + Architects
      Original details such as parquet floors and ornate ceiling plasterwork were retained in the renovation of this apartment, which had been left largely untouched since the end of the 19th century.
      But local studio Toledano + Architects tore down several partition walls to create a more open floorplan, traversed by a snaking plywood wall that roughly divides the apartment into three zones while providing tactical storage in the living room and kitchen.
      “I really wanted to enhance this dichotomy between ancient and contemporary,” founder Gabrielle Toledano told Dezeen. “It’s very relevant in a city like Paris where both are in a constant dialogue.”
      Find out more about Wood Ribbon apartment ›
      Photo by Giulio GhirardiApartment Canal Saint Martin by Rodolphe Parente
      French interior designer Rodolphe Parente made only a few minor architectural interventions when overhauling this apartment in Canal Saint-Martin, exposing long sealed-off doorways and creating a hybrid dining room and kitchen.
      Instead, he modernised the apartment by contrasting original details such as mouldings with unexpected contemporary details, colours and the “radical” art collection of the owner.
      In the bedroom, a vivid purple rug clashes with caramel-coloured walls while in the living room, period wall panelling highlights the modernity of the sofa and the glossy coffee table.
      Find out more about Apartment Canal Saint Martin ›
      Photo by Olivier Martin GambierApartment XIV by Studio Razavi
      With several partition walls removed, French office Studio Razavi created a new layout for this apartment by slotting a multi-faceted furniture block made from wood-fibre panels into the remaining gaps.
      Its staggered profile creates sightlines between the different areas of the house while framing some of the building’s original Hausmann-style ceiling mouldings.
      Painted in a muted slate grey, the furniture block performs a different function in every room – acting as a storage cabinet in the kitchen, a TV mount in the living room and a desk in the study.
      Find out more about Apartment XIV ›
      Photo by Stephan JulliardMarais apartment by Sophie Dries
      Two flats become one 100-square-metre residence in this renovation project that French architect Sophie Dries completed in trendy Marais for a family of four.
      Period details were painted in simple white, providing a contrast with new additions such as the Hans J Wegner chairs and the dyed linen curtains in the living room
      “The Haussmannian style was refined and pared down, in order to introduce minimal lines better suited to a modern family,” Dries explained.
      Find out more about Marais apartment ›

      Enter the Diamond by Atelier 37.2
      An additional bathroom is housed inside the three-metre-high birchwood volume at the centre of this residence in the French capital, designed by local studio Atelier 37.2.
      The sharp lines of the diamond-shaped structure contrast with the apartment’s ornate ceiling mouldings and white-painted walls.
      “This tension generates a fictional potential that plays with the imagination of the inhabitants,” said the studio.
      Find out more about Enter the Diamond ›
      Photo by Stéphane ChalmeauArsenal loft by h2o Architectes
      This three-room loft is set inside the mansard roof of a Haussmann-era building in the Arsenale district, which originally served as servant’s quarters for the apartments below.
      Parisian firm h2o Architectes opened up its floor plan to make the most of the top-floor views while installing wooden bookshelves to define different areas and house the extensive library of the apartment’s book-loving owner.
      Their timber construction creates a visual connection with the original parquet floors, while the white paint used to brighten walls and other structural elements continues onto some sections of the floor.
      Find out more about Arsenal loft ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bedrooms with minimalist interiors, concrete kitchens and marble-lined bathrooms.

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      Raúl Sanchez Architects divides Barcelona apartment with 21-metre-long wooden wall

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      A lengthy walnut-panelled wall runs through the bright white living spaces inside this Barcelona apartment, renovated by local studio Raúl Sanchez Architects.

      The Girona Street apartment is set within a 19th-century building in Barcelona’s affluent Dreta de l’Eixample neighbourhood and belongs to a design-savvy couple with two young children.
      A 21-metre-long walnut-panelled wall runs the length of the Girona Street apartmentPrior to the renovation, the apartment contained a warren of small, dark living spaces bookended by an indoor patio and a sitting room that overlooks the street.
      Raúl Sanchez Architects connected these two rooms with a 21-metre-long wall that stretches from one end of the floor plan to the other. While the majority of surfaces in the apartment were rendered in white micro-cement, the wall is crafted from walnut wood.
      Spaces throughout are rendered in white micro-cement”I thought of a material, which could contrast the whiteness with elegance and warmth while also adding texture and ruggedness,” founder Raúl Sanchez told Dezeen.

      “We made several samples and trials until we got the right wood and the right porosity of walnut.”
      A blue-painted dining room lies next to the loungeA series of rooms run parallel to the wall, beginning with a dining area.
      Here, a section of the rear wall was painted dark blue and fitted with a built-in bench seat, while the floor was inlaid with a square patch of patterned hydraulic tiles.

      Four-storey spiral staircase forms focal point of BSP20 House in Barcelona

      Further along the hallway, a sitting area was created just in front of a pair of stained glass windows. This is followed by two bedrooms that are partially painted blue to match the dining area.
      One of them is fronted by a huge pivoting door that, like the apartment, is split into two sides. One half is clad with stainless steel and the other in brass.
      A sea-green kitchen is hidden behind doors in the walnut-wood wallMore rooms lie concealed behind the long walnut wall, each accessed via a discrete flush door. This includes a U-shaped kitchen, which was almost entirely painted a sea-green hue.
      There’s also a storage area, the family bathroom and the principal bedroom, where a floor-to-ceiling cream curtain helps conceal en-suite facilities.
      Other rooms in the Girona Street apartment are concealed behind flush doorsThe apartment’s indoor patio was freshened up, as was the street-facing sitting area. It now features a mint-green sideboard and bookshelf, as well as a decorative wall panel that mimics the brass-and-steel pivot door.
      More hydraulic tiles were also incorporated into the floor, this time in mismatch prints.
      Hydraulic floor tiles and mint-green furnishings feature in the living roomRaúl Sanchez Architects is behind a number of striking homes in Barcelona, aside from the Girona Street apartment.
      This includes BSP20 House with its towering spiral staircase and the Tamarit Apartment, which is decked out with clashing materials.
      The photography is by José Hevia.
      Project credits:
      Architecture: Raúl Sanchez ArchitectsTeam: Valentina Barberio, Paolo Burattini, Flavia Thalisa Gütermann, Dimitris Louizos, Albert MontillaStructure: Diagonal ArquitecturaEnginering: Marés IngenierosTextile design: Catalina Montaña

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      Another Seedbed is a Brooklyn apartment that doubles as a performance space

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      In this renovated loft in Brooklyn, the owner both resides and hosts public art performances within a space divided by a variety of inserted volumes.

      The loft is located in a late 19th-century cast iron building in Williamsburg that once served as a hat factory, and was renovated by a team of architects.
      A team of architects renovated the loft, inserted volumes to conceal private areasIgnacio G Galán, Jesse McCormick, Khoi Nguyen and Julie Tran of Future Projects collaborated to turn the industrial space into a residence that could also serve as a venue for artistic performances and other public events.
      Named Another Seedbed, the project recalls the use of lofts in New York City by artists in 1960s to 1980s for developing experimental works.
      The bedroom is hidden behind red-stained plywood panels and accessed through a concertina doorThe owner and activator of this apartment began organising parties, performances and other events in a similarly industrial space in Bushwick.

      He then decided to create a dedicated space for himself to live and work, as well as host other artist friends who needed square footage to bring their ideas to life.
      Hand-troweled earthen clay plaster covers the bathroom volume”Neither just a private studio nor an art gallery, the space is equipped to welcome gatherings that operate between a dinner party and a public performance,” said the project team.
      “Artists appropriate the space and become hosts themselves, expanding the communities which the project brings together.”
      Inside, the bathroom is lined with blue penny-round tilesThe apartment is organised as a largely open-plan space, with private areas concealed inside inserted volumes.
      Red-stained pine plywood panels hide the bedroom, which is accessed via a concertina door, and also contain storage.
      Moveable furniture helps to arrange the apartment for performancesThe bathroom occupies another volume that’s covered in hand-troweled earthen clay plaster outside and lined entirely is blue penny-round tiles inside.
      An open kitchen with grey cabinetry sits below a framework of coloured wood, featuring smokey polycarbonate panels that are lit from behind.

      Vipp Studio in Manhattan functions as both showroom and apartment

      This frame extends into the living area to form a floor-to-ceiling shelving unit, on which books and objects are displayed, and a projector for screening videos onto the opposite wall is housed.
      A variety of moving furniture pieces, including an ochre-toned sofa on wheels, help to choreograph the events and arrange the apartment as desired by whoever is using it.
      The owner and his artist friends are able to transform the space to present their work”The space will not advertise its performances,” said the team.
      “Some neighbors might not know of its existence. Others will hear about an event through friends. Some might find themselves there often and will develop networks of neighbourliness within it.”
      Performances are open to the public but not advertisedBrooklyn has both a thriving arts scene and a wealth of defunct industrial buildings for hosting exhibitions, performances and events.
      Herzog & de Meuron recently completed the transformation of a derelict power plant in the borough into arts centre, while the Public Records creative venue added a bar and lounge on an upper floor of its former warehouse building earlier this year.

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      Rodolphe Parente respectfully rethinks a classic Haussmannian apartment in Paris

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      French interior designer Rodolphe Parente has completed a contemporary overhaul of a 19th-century Parisian apartment, reflecting both the building’s heritage and the “radical” art collection of its owner.

      Originally built during Haussmann’s major reconstruction of Paris, the 150-square-metre flat is located in the Canal Saint-Martin neighbourhood in northeastern Paris.
      Rodolphe Parente has renovated a Haussmann-era apartment in ParisAs part of the renovation, Parente sought to celebrate the apartment’s extensive period details. In the entrance hall, a band of gold leaf now highlights the geometry of the circular ceiling and missing sections of the mouldings were painstakingly reinstated.
      “The main idea was to preserve and at some points restore the classic Haussmannian codes of a Parisian apartment,” Parente told Dezeen. “It was important for me to keep the Parisian vibration as well as the radical tone of my client’s art taste.”
      Redfield & Dattner created an abstract fresco behind the dining tableParente began by opening up the apartment to improve the sense of flow, exposing long sealed-off doorways and connecting the dining room with the kitchen.

      Taking cues from the craftsmanship inherent in the apartment, Parente drafted in several contemporary craftspeople including custom painting studio Redfield & Dattner, which created an abstract fresco on the new wall behind the dining table.
      The kitchen balances cabinet finishes of stainless steel and pastel pink”I wanted to bring the hand of craftsmanship into this project,” said Parente.
      “The people I have worked with on this apartment bring something to the creativity in general.”
      A sculptural vintage sofa centres the living roomThroughout the space, a palette of warm neutrals was used to create a sense of immersion.
      “I chose neutral tones to subtly enhance the classical heritage of the apartment and keep an enveloping atmosphere,” the interior designer explained.

      Studio Razavi inserts sculptural furniture block into 19th-century Parisian apartment

      Against this cohesive backdrop, surprisingly colourful elements leap out including the lacquered yellow light above the dining table – Parente’s own design – and the vivid purple rug used against caramel-coloured walls in the main bedroom.
      The kitchen balances cabinet finishes of stainless steel and pastel pink with a frame-like marble splashback, created by French artist Alice Guittard for Double V Gallery.
      “The kitchen is a deconstructed block sitting in the Haussmanian environment,” Parente said. “It is connected to the historical elements through its composition.”
      Period wall panelling remains in the reading roomIn the living room, a sculptural vintage sofa is sited in the centre of the space, anchored by a graphic rug and positioned to disrupt the angles of the room.
      Parente played with contrast via the material and colour palettes throughout the apartment. In the reading room, period wall panelling highlights the modernity of the sofa and chair with their highly lacquered side panels.
      Parente designed a custom chair and sofa for the space”For this room, we have designed custom-made furniture with contemporary and radical shapes bringing a form of reflection to the space,” the designer said.
      The idea of juxtaposition continues with the art displayed in the apartment, with the client’s often provocative pieces completing the aesthetic in each room.
      Colours clash in the main bedroom”The client showed total faith in this balance between modernism and legacy for the interior design. He also wanted to keep this dialogue for the decoration and focused on staying eclectic in his choice of furniture and art,” said Parente.
      “The client has a radical point of view regarding art and design. It was a real pleasure to create a dialogue between the existing pieces and the interior design.”
      A vivid purple rug contrasts with caramel-coloured wallsOther Hausmann-era apartment renovations in Paris have seen interior designers make more dramatic interventions, with Atelier 37.2 adding a sculptural wooden volume to house a new bathroom while Studio Razavi inserted a multifaceted furniture block that takes on a different function in each room.
      The photography is by Giulio Ghirardi.

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      Pascali Semerdjian exposes concrete ceiling for São Paulo apartment overhaul

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      São Paulo studio Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos has renovated an apartment in the city for a local family, utilising the furniture, cladding and exposed details to create social spaces that are “deeply Brazilian and vividly cosmopolitan”.

      The family asked Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos to design their home after seeing another apartment the firm had overhauled, which was also featured on Dezeen.
      Brazilian design including an Oscar Niemeyer chaise longue is showcased throughout this renovated apartmentFor the 376-square-metre ER Apartment, the architects divided the layout into two – placing an open social area and guest suite in one half, and the private rooms in the other.
      The social area comprises an expansive, combined dining and living space with access to multiple planted balconies.
      Social spaces including the dining room are lined with pale timber slatsWalls in this area are lined with vertical slats of pale timber, interrupted by panels of jade-coloured onyx that extend out to form side tables next to sofas.

      Behind the onyx wall panel is a hidden hemispherical light fixture, which glows softly through the stone when illuminated.
      In the kitchen, a breakfast bar emerges from a drum-like plaster sinkThe eclectic furniture in the living area ranges from a chaise lounge by Brazilian modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer, and vintage chairs by Svante Skogh and Kurt Østervig, to a double-sided stool by contemporary Brazilian designer Claudia Moreira Salles.
      “The clients worked with [us] to develop social zones that are both deeply Brazilian and vividly cosmopolitan,” said Pascali Semerdjian Arquitetos.
      Plenty of storage was added during the renovation workIn the dining room, a large walnut table is shaped to follow the curves of the walls and is accompanied by a set of Erik Buch chairs.
      A pair of Prop Lights by Dutch designer Bertjan Pot hang from the concrete ceiling, which was exposed during the renovation in this and several other rooms.
      Natural materials are used in the private areas and the building’s concrete ceilings were exposedThis side of the apartment also includes a custom wine cellar and a kitchen where a breakfast bar extends from a drum-like plaster form that incorporates the sink.
      The private half of the home includes the primary suite, bedrooms and a toy room for the daughters, storage space and a shared bathroom.

      Curved bookshelf organises Pascali Semerdjian’s VLP apartment in São Paulo

      Most of the materials in these spaces are natural, and the clients required “sustainability certificates for every piece of wood used in the renovation” according to the designers.
      “The couple loves object design, just like us, so we took a lot of care and made some special designs for them, so the apartment would be unique and a different experience,” the studio said.
      The apartment includes a toy room for the clients’ daughtersCustom pieces include a trough-like bronze and stone sink in the primary bathroom, a cocktail table in the lounge, and an “almost religious” niche and closet set into the entryway.
      The family’s extensive collection of contemporary Brazilian art is also showcased throughout the home, including works by Ana María Tavares, Gabriela Costa and Matias Mesquita.
      Among the custom elements in the home is a trough-like bronze sink in the primary bathroomIn densely populated São Paulo, apartment living is extremely common and architects often have to get creative to add character to generic spaces.
      Recently completed examples include a duplex penthouse with a sculptural staircase, a home filled with different textures, and a residence where the concrete structure is left fully exposed.
      The photography is by Fran Parente and image production is by Victor Correa.

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      Sheft Farrace renovates loft in Los Angeles' art deco Eastern Columbia building

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      Architecture studio Sheft Farrace has renovated a loft apartment in Los Angeles’ iconic Eastern Columbia building, subtly incorporating colours from the art deco exterior into the minimalist interiors.

      The studio renovated the loft while drawing details from the exterior of the 13-storey building in Downtown Los Angeles, known for its highly detailed turquoise facade and clock tower, which was designed by Claud Beelman and completed in 1930.
      Sheft Farrace chose to divide up the loft, yet retain visual connections through framed openingsIt was converted into lofts in 2006, and local studio Sheft Farrace was recently tasked with renovating one of the condos for a young creative from Kazakhstan.
      “Uninspired by the unit’s original 2006 layout and interiors, the owner wanted it to feel like a brand new space — so Sheft Farrace approached it as a blank canvas,” said the studio, led by Alex Sheft and John Farrace.
      The pared-down decor contrasts the building’s colourful exteriorThe apartment has tall ceilings, and their height is accentuated by the building’s long narrow windows and floor-to-ceiling drapery.

      Rather than keep the open floor plan, the studio chose to divide up the space to help define areas for different functions.
      The ceiling height is accentuated by tall windows and floor-to-ceiling draperyHowever, the visual connections between the kitchen and dining room, and the living room and bedroom, are retained by large framed openings used in place of doors.
      “Every space has its own character, based on what time of day it is and how the natural light comes in through the full-height windows,” said Sheft Farrace.

      OWIU Studio brings Japanese style to Biscuit Loft apartment in Los Angeles

      For the most part, the home is decorated in a much more pared-down style than the building’s opulent exterior, primarily with soft neutral hues and sparse furnishings.
      Certain material choices in the kitchen and bathroom tie much more closely to the colourful facades, including white oak, Verde Aver marble, and Florida Brush quartzite to echo the orange, green and blue exterior tiles.
      Materials like white oak and Florida Brush quartzite in the kitchen nod to the art deco exteriorThe curved corners of the kitchen counters and elongated cabinet hardware also evoke 1930s design.
      “Upon first glance, it’s stylistically in stark contrast with the historical building that it’s within, but throughout the space are subtle nods to the art deco exterior and ultimately, it feels like it belongs,” Sheft Farrace said. “We felt honored to have contributed a small chapter to the long and storied history of a Los Angeles landmark.”
      In the bathroom, Verde Aver marble was also chosen to reference the historic tiled facadesDowntown Los Angeles has dramatically transformed from a no-go zone to a popular and thriving neighbourhood over the past 20 years.
      This shift is partially thanks to the opening of cultural institutions like Frank Gehry’s Walt Disney Concert Hall and Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s The Broad museum, as well as a spate of high-end hotels.
      The photography is by Yoshihiro Makino.

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      SSdH tucks Melbourne warehouse apartment into former chocolate factory

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      Local studio SSdH has designed a split-level, mezzanine-style apartment characterised by eclectic furniture, which is housed within an old chocolate factory in Melbourne.

      Kerr is a warehouse apartment in Melbourne’s Fitzroy suburb, located in a building that was once home to the historic MacRoberton’s Chocolate Factory before being converted into residential units in the late 1990s.
      Kerr is one of a number of apartments arranged around a central atriumAdapted into “apartment shells” arranged around a striking central atrium, the units were first designed with only basic amenities to allow occupants to determine their own interior designs.
      SSdH recently renovated Kerr, one of these units, as a three-bedroom, two-bathroom dwelling that intends to expose but also refresh the building’s original architecture.
      “The design pays homage to history while being decidedly contemporary,” studio director Jean-Marie Spencer told Dezeen.

      The home is divided by a white-painted staircaseThe mezzanine-style apartment is split across two levels by a staircase with a white-painted gridded steel mesh balustrade. Doubling as a lightwell, the staircase is illuminated by the apartment’s original single factory window.
      Upstairs, the open-plan living space includes a kitchen fitted with geometric cabinetry made from local spotted gum timber, as well as brushed stainless steel and nickel fixtures.
      Spotted gum timber and stainless steel define the kitchenThe similarly minimalist lounge area is delineated by smooth sliding doors made of the same spotted gum, which are offset by existing structural beams and columns painted in bright white.
      A sage-green two-seater armchair is positioned next to a chunky column floor lamp by emerging designer Annie Paxton and a distinctive coral-blue vase.
      A two-seater armchair features in the lounge area”Old wall and ceiling linings, trims and details are stripped back to expose original materials and structural framing,” explained Spencer.
      “An application of white unifies what was, subsequently giving the ‘new’ its own platform through contrast,” she added.
      SSdH also included timber accents downstairsTwo bedrooms and a bathroom are contained downstairs, while a bedroom and an en-suite feature on the upper level.
      All three bedrooms are defined by the same pared-back white and wooden elements as the communal areas. Inside one of them, a mushroom-like floor lamp made from lumps of blue sculpting plaster adds a playful touch.
      Among the eclectic furniture is a mushroom-like lampGleaming geometric tiles in shades of blue and yellow feature in each of the bathrooms, which also have bulbous sconce lights.
      Timber operable doors and translucent curtains leading to the sleeping areas were designed to balance the airy openness of the living spaces, according to Spencer.
      One bathroom is clad in bright blue tiles”Living areas, where privacy is less of a concern, invoke a spilling out to the street to make the most of the light and air,” said the studio director.
      Other sculptural accents inserted throughout the apartment include boxy aluminium corner stools under the stairs and a fluted side table crafted from a solid piece of timber.

      Ten industrial yet inviting homes in converted warehouses

      SSdH added double glazing to Kerr’s existing large factory window to provide both thermal and acoustic benefits to the apartment, which is located in close proximity to a busy street.
      “This glazing, along with the thermal mass embodied within the heavy masonry building allowed the apartment to remain un-airconditioned, relying on passive cross ventilation from the shared building lobby to maintain temperatures and reduce energy consumption,” said Spencer.
      Boxy aluminium corner stools are tucked under the staircaseFormerly industrial spaces are popular locations for residential conversions.
      Local firm Studio McW transformed an east London warehouse into a live-work space for climate activists and filmmakers Jack Harries and Alice Aedy while Auba Studio designed an apartment in a 1980s bakery in Palma de Mallorca.
      The photography is by Pier Carthew.

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      Office Alex Nicholls creates multi-generational Melbourne apartment with its own spa

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      Architecture studio Office Alex Nicholls has fused two penthouse apartments in Melbourne into one large flexible home, converting their basement parking spots into a private spa and pool.

      Adaptability was key to the home in Melbourne’s Elsternwick suburb, which needed to provide enough space for a multi-generational family as well as accommodating visiting relatives in guest rooms that double up as studies.
      Office Alex Nicholls fused two apartments to create Elsternwick Penthouse”Spaces were designed to adapt to a multitude of uses, with flexible working and living spaces as well as areas that could expand for large groups or contract to provide intimate settings,” the studio’s founder Alex Nicholls told Dezeen.
      Office Alex Nicholls was brought on board while the apartment block was still under construction and was able to make significant changes to suit his clients’ needs – improving the layout, adding skylights and up-speccing on key details like the windows.
      Timber staircases lead to the roof garden”The design intent was to create variety and different spatial experiences across a very expansive and potentially monotonous floorplan,” Nicholls said.

      “I wanted to create a light yet grounded and natural-feeling space that was contrasted with some stronger formal elements such as sculptural skylights and coloured functional volumes.”
      A “library spine” runs through the apartment to provide storageTo navigate this vast apartment, Nicholls devised a central “library spine” – a corridor running the entire length of the apartment that houses the family’s collection of books, art and artefacts while creating an opportunity out of what could have been a dark and monotonous space.
      “The idea for the library spine was born from a storage requirement of the clients,” the architect said. “However, it became a key architectural intervention.”
      “From a practical standpoint, it allowed everything to be easily accessible and displayed but it also helps to draw people through the apartment and celebrate the two staircases to the roof garden at either end.”
      Oculus skylights funnel sunlight into the interiorTo provide vital light to the heart of the apartment and enhance the two main living spaces, Nicholls designed a series of circular and semi-circular oculus skylights, which reference the clients’ love of Elsternwick’s art deco architecture.
      “They create a sense of movement and symmetry in the composition of otherwise rectilinear volumes,” he explained.

      Frederick Tang Architecture transforms New York loft into light-filled wellness studio

      The apartment has three kitchens, partly to meet the family’s religious requirements and partly to allow the different generations who are sharing the apartment to enjoy their own independence.
      Described by Nicholls as a series of “magic boxes”, each monolithic kitchen is defined by one vivid colour. This helps to delineate spaces and provides a counterpoint to the otherwise warm and natural material palette, which includes Blackbutt timber and Gosford sandstone.
      The apartment has three colourful kitchen units”The kitchens were designed to be largely concealed within these coloured volumes to give each one more spatial presence while ensuring the apartment did not feel too kitchen- and appliance-heavy as a result of the clients’ complex requirements,” Nicholls said.
      In the basement, Nicholls turned the penthouses’ lift-accessed parking spots into a private 100-square-metre wellness space that features a fitness pool, sauna, kitchenette, changing rooms and a flexible rehabilitation area.
      Nicholls also converted the apartments’ parking spots into a private spaTo make up for the lack of natural light in this subterranean space, Nicholls deployed atmospheric indirect lighting and a warm colour palette.
      “Lighting the space via a datum of timber niches helped give the spa a restorative atmosphere, enhanced by the use of natural materials such as sandstone, timber, terracotta and lime render,” he explained.
      The spa is home to a timber saunaElsternwick is a thriving suburb in the southeast of Melbourne, brimming with buzzy shops, restaurants and bars.
      Among them is the Hunter & Co Deli, whose interiors were informed by the cold cuts on offer, and the minimal Penta cafe with its monolithic concrete counter.
      The photography is by Rory Gardiner.

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