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

    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.

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    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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    Tria Arquitetura renovates São Paulo penthouse with sculptural staircase

    A large variety of art and collectible design pieces populate this penthouse apartment in São Paulo, designed by local studio Tria Arquitetura, which also includes a sculptural staircase.

    The renovation of the 960-square-metre Frederic Chopin Apartment was led by architect Marina Cardoso de Almeida of Tria Arquitetura, who reconfigured the layout to make the most of the high ceilings and views.
    A sculptural staircase snakes between the levels of the duplex apartmentThe apartment is split over two floors and is home to an art-loving couple.
    Previously the owners of a large house, the clients chose to move to an apartment for convenience and security, but still wanted their space to feel open and expansive.
    Green furniture and rugs are highlighted against mostly neutral-toned materialsThe primary suite was moved to the upper floor, where the bed could be aligned with a floor-to-ceiling window that overlooks the cityscape.

    An intimate library was also created on this level, so that the whole floor is dedicated entirely to private space, apart from the patio and pool terrace, where the clients entertain guests.
    The couple’s contemporary art collection draws attention throughout the apartmentTwo employees’ suites were shifted to the lower floor, and a guest suite and home theatre were added in place of the closet.
    Connecting the two levels is a staircase with travertine treads and solid white bannisters, which snakes up a double-height space to appear like a piece of sculpture.
    Slatted wooden panels wrap the elevator block, the fireplace and the wall dividing the main living room from the guest areaThis sets the tone for the rest of the contemporary artworks and materials used throughout the penthouse.
    “The main concept in the choice of finishes and architectural solutions was to bring comfort but still leave a big void so that the works could dress the house,” said Tria Arquitetura.
    Stainless steel in the kitchen matches a wrapped column in the living areaIn the open living and dining area, colourful paintings adorn the walls, and furniture and rugs in shades of green and orange stand out against the otherwise neutral palette.
    “In the living room there were three large main volumes that should be highlighted to bring texture and more cosiness,” Tria Arquitetura said.
    The staircase features solid white bannisters and travertine treadsThese include the elevator block, the fireplace and the wall dividing the main room from the guest area, which are covered in thin vertical slats of veneered natural wood.
    Another column is wrapped in stainless steel to offer a cool, sharp-edged contrast to the wood and other warm tones in the living room.
    The primary bedroom was moved upstairs to face the best viewUpstairs in the library, wide-planked wood flooring is continued up the walls to make the room feel cosy, and provide a backdrop for a series of framed vintage maps.
    “It was only in the library that the architect chose to cover all the walls with the same wood as the floor to give more seriousness and highlight the environment from the others,” the studio said.

    Studio MK27 combines different textures in São Paulo apartment interior

    Updates were also made to the outdoor area, where the pool was reduced in size and re-edged to better integrate it with the landscaping.
    A pair of imitation classical pillars were also demolished, and a wood and glass pergola was added to cover the patio.
    Walls of an intimate library are panelled with the same wood as the floorThroughout the apartment, fully automated systems controlling the air conditioning, lighting, landscaping irrigation, and curtains and blinds were added during the renovation.
    The project took over two years to complete due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
    The project also involved adding a pergola and reducing the pool size on the terraceApartment living is commonplace in densely populated São Paulo, where architects and designers have used their creativity to add character to previously uninspiring spaces.
    Other recently completed examples include a residence by Studio MK27 that features furry upholstery, lace curtains and tactile rugs, and a renovation by Memola Estudio that exposed the building’s concrete structure.
    The photography is by Fran Parente.
    Project credits:
    Lead architect: Marina Cardoso de AlmeidaCreative team: Marina Cardoso de Almeida, Sarah Bonanno, Barbara Castro, Barbara Silva, Virginia CaldasEngineering: Steel ConstruçõesLandscaping: Alex HanazakiLight technician: Carlos FortesAutomation: TaagAir conditioning: Dealtec

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    Coordination merges Berlin attic apartments to create artsy penthouse

    Design studio Coordination has combined two attic apartments into a single penthouse in Berlin, crafting its interiors around the owner’s art collection.

    The formerly separate attic apartments were added to the 19th-century residential building in the 1990s. By bringing them together, Coordination created a spacious penthouse of 131 square metres, with a floorplan that is split into a private and a public zone.
    Coordination has designed a penthouse in BerlinThe latter houses the kitchen, which is finished with dark wooden cabinetry to complement a moody 17th-century portrait displayed in the adjacent dining area.
    Here, there’s a large oval table supported by two concave legs, while amorphous pink, orange and berry-red pendant lights are suspended from the ceiling.
    The apartment’s owner can showcase ornaments on a custom shelving unitDividing these two spaces is what appears to be an oversized marble island but is actually a part of the apartment below that juts into the penthouse.

    Rather than trying to obscure this structure, Coordination has made it into a display plinth for the owner’s sculpture collection.
    Blue walls in the bedroom nod to the maritime-themed artwork on displayA tall brass-edged glass door grants access to the more private section of the home, where the living room can be found. Its walls are rendered in very pale green, drawing on the colours of an 18th-century painting of Christ and the Virgin Mary that’s mounted above the sofa.
    The same shade of green was applied to the base of a bespoke floor-to-ceiling shelf, where the owner can showcase different ornaments. A niche was also added to house their piano.

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    In the bedroom, surfaces were painted blue in reference to the various maritime artworks on show here.
    Turquoise-coloured storage was installed in the dressing room and a navy feature panel fitted behind the sink in the bathroom.
    Turquoise storage was installed in the adjacent dressing roomBerlin-based Coordination was founded in 2004 by Flip Sellin and Jochen Gringmuth.
    The studio isn’t the only one to take a client’s private collection into consideration when designing their home.
    In London, Gianni Botsford Architects devised a corten-steel extension to accommodate the owner’s curated selection of photographs, prints and lithographs, while over in Amsterdam i29 added double-height shelving to an apartment to show off the owner’s vast array of books and art objects.
    The photography is by Anne Deppe.
    Project credits:
    Architecture: CoordinationInterior concept: Flip SellinTeam: Chikako Sakamoto, Theresa OttoPartners: Vorschub, Greendom, Steinzeit BerlinProject management: Lena KramerFurniture design: Flip Sellin, Max WosczynaLighting concept: Coordination, Weißpunkt und purpurStyling: Nici Theuerkauf

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    Oak-lined boxes delineate living spaces at Bureau Fraai's Panorama Penthouse

    Architecture office Bureau Fraai used freestanding wooden volumes to organise the interior of this penthouse in the Netherlands, preserving panoramic views of the surroundings from within the living areas.

    The 300-square-metre Panorama Penthouse occupies the upper floor of a former office building in the South Holland region that was converted into a high-end residential development.
    The penthouse has large open-plan living spacesBureau Fraai was asked to develop a proposal for the apartment’s interior that would optimise views through its glazed facades towards the sea on one side and the city on another.
    “We believe the only way to experience the panoramic views at the fullest was by getting rid of walls obstructing the facades and therefore decided to introduce an open floor plan concept,” Bureau Fraai cofounder Daniel Aw told Dezeen.
    Oak-lined boxes separate spacesInstead of compartmentalising the penthouse into a series of cellular rooms, the architects introduced freestanding oak structures that are removed from the facade to maintain views throughout the interior.

    “This way, the surroundings are always present in every part of the penthouse, making you fully aware of the changing colours of the seasons, the tides and of the sunrise and sunset that are never the same,” the studio added.
    The apartment layout optimises panoramic viewsThe four timber-clad volumes contain private functions including a study and a sauna, as well as the main bedroom’s bathroom and walk-in closet.
    The sequence of wooden boxes are arranged along one side of a hallway leading from the entrance to the main communal areas. This configuration helps create a semi-porous partition between the corridor and the two bedrooms.
    A private study is located in one of the timber-clad boxesFully glazed steel sliding doors integrated into the oak volumes can be closed if physical separation from the hall is required. Curtains and solid pocket doors allow the bedrooms to be visually closed off from the rest of the apartment at nighttime.
    The penthouse’s interior features a neutral palette with white or light-grey floors, ceilings and walls chosen to enhance the connection with the surroundings.

    DDG and IMG outfit penthouse in art deco-influenced Manhattan skyscraper

    The pale oak wood used for the freestanding joinery aims to provide a warm and natural complement to the dunes and beaches that are visible through the adjacent glazed facades.
    Cabinetry in the kitchen and dining room at the far end of the property has a muted, grey finish intended to echo the distant city skyline.
    A library ladder provides access to upper level storage spaceThe common areas are configured as a trio of separate but linked spaces comprising the raised living area, a media and lounge room, and the dining area and kitchen.
    Sliding doors incorporated into the glazed walls provide direct access from each of these spaces to the large decked terraces.
    At the centre of the apartment is a long, rectangular volume containing storage, technical equipment, a toilet and a second bathroom.
    Glazed facades provide views of the sea and the cityThe ceiling height at one end of this volume reaches 4.75 metres, allowing space for a mezzanine level that provides additional storage and a lookout point for observing the rest of the apartment.
    The high ceilings extend through to the media room, which contains full-height bookshelves with a library ladder providing access to the upper storage areas.
    The apartment has a neutral colour paletteBureau Fraai was founded in 2014 by architects Rikjan Scholten and Daniel Aw. The Amsterdam-based studio aims to produce timeless, one-of-a-kind architectural projects inspired by their context and the client’s unique requirements.
    The firm’s previous work includes the conversion of a building in central Amsterdam into high-end apartments featuring a strong contrast of light and dark colours. The project was longlisted in the apartment interior category of Dezeen Awards 2022.

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    DDG and IMG outfit penthouse in art deco-influenced Manhattan skyscraper

    Arched openings frame views of New York City from this duplex penthouse apartment in a Carnegie Hill residential tower, designed and developed by American real estate company DDG.

    The penthouse sits atop the newly constructed 180 East 88th Street, an art deco-influenced building that tallest residence north of 72nd Street on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
    The arched opening that crowns 180 East 88th Street frame views from the interiorSpilt over two storeys, its 5,508 square feet (512 square metres) of interiors were designed by the tower’s architects and developers DDG and staged by New York firm IMG.
    The residence also enjoys an additional 3,500 square feet (325 square metres) of exterior spaces across multiple levels — including a private rooftop terrace overlooking Central Park.
    A sculptural staircase connects the two storeys and the roof terrace of the penthouseHuge arches in the grey-brick facades that wrap the building’s crown are visible from the inside, thanks to large expanses of glazing that enclose the apartment on both floors.

    There are views across the city in all directions, the most dramatic of which is of the Midtown skyline to the south.
    The kitchen features a golden cooker hood that echoes the building’s pinnacleThere are two living spaces, a large dining area and a separate eat-in kitchen, five bedrooms and a den, and four full and two half bathrooms.
    The two internal levels and the roof terrace are connected by a curvaceous staircase that rises through centre of the penthouse.

    Grey brickwork to clad Upper East Side residential tower by DDG

    Spaces are neutrally decorated, with sculptural light fixtures and expressive artworks adding visual interest.
    In the kitchen, a golden cooker hood echoes the colour and shape of an architectural feature on the building’s pinnacle.
    Expansive terraces enjoy unobstructed views across ManhattanCompleted earlier this year, 180 East 88th Street includes 46 half- and full-floor residences, along with amenities such as a partial indoor basketball court and soccer pitch, a game room, a residents’ lounge, a private fitness and yoga studio, and a children’s playroom with a slide.
    The building’s exterior design was influenced by “the boom in high-rise masonry construction in New York in the early 20th century”, and is one of many recent skyscrapers in the city that have ditched glass in favour of more solid-looking materials.
    Full-height glass walls allow the vistas to be enjoyed from the majority of rooms”Paying homage to the lost art of traditional craftsmanship, the intricate exterior features a striking hand-laid brick facade made of 600,000 handmade bricks by Denmark’s master brickworks Petersen Tegl,” said a statement from DDG.
    Manhattan has no shortage of luxury penthouses, with some of the most notable including a residence at the top of Rafael Viñoly’s 432 Park Avenue and the premium unit at Zaha Hadid’s 520 West 28th Street development.
    The photography is by Sean Hemmerle.

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    Tom Dixon furnishes penthouses in Herzog & de Meuron's One Park Drive skyscraper

    British designer Tom Dixon’s Design Research Studio has furnished the interiors for two duplex penthouses that Herzog & de Meuron has created within its cylindrical Canary Wharf skyscraper.

    Architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron designed the seven penthouses in the residential One Park Drive skyscraper, which were the last part of the project to be completed, to contrast the commercial buildings that surround them.
    “We had to think about what it means to live vertically and how to create a strong distinction between something that is commercial and something that is residential,” Herzog & de Meuron’s UK studio director John O’Mara said at the penthouses’ opening.
    The seven penthouses feature wood-clad courtyardsLocated on the 56th and final floor of the 205-metre-tall One Park Drive building, the duplex penthouses feature balconies overlooking Canary Wharf. To give them a more residential feel, Herzog & de Meuron added an unusual detail – hidden internal courtyards.
    The wood-clad courtyards open up towards the sky via D-shaped ceiling cut-outs and function as a “back garden,” the studio said.

    Each of the penthouses, which range from 152 to 362 square metres, also feature a statement spiral staircase made from concrete poured in-situ. The staircases all have different designs.
    Spiral staircases were made from concrete poured in-situDesign Research Studio furnished the interiors for two of the duplex penthouses in One Park Drive using a combination of furniture by Dixon’s studio and handpicked vintage furniture.
    Among the vintage pieces used for the design were chairs by Danish designer Verner Panton and lamps by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Dixon also custom-made large artworks for the space.
    The penthouses are on the 56th floorDixon’s studio used the theme of Home of the Collector to imagine what the interiors of the penthouses should feel like.
    “Each room has been meticulously curated – we wanted every single object to feel as if it has been made specifically for this space or that it has been carefully selected for it,” Dixon explained.
    “It should feel personal, convincing, compelling and aspirational – we didn’t want to design a typical luxury apartment,” he added.
    “The beautiful, fluid spaces feature high ceilings and large expanses of wall and windows and the artworks create the sense of a private gallery.”

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    Coming up with a concept for an imaginary homeowner was an enjoyable aspect of the job, Dixon added.
    “It’s actually really good fun to try and invent a personality and try and work out what they would actually do,” he said, explaining that he had envisioned the apartments being filled with art pieces and furniture that had been picked up on travels.
    Bathrooms have sand-coloured Tadelakt wallsThe apartments in One Park Drive are all designed by Herzog & de Meuron with a tactile material palette that helps to draw attention to the interiors.
    Wood was used to create striking details for the interior architecture, including the wardrobe doors with leaf-shaped openings.
    The studio used Tadelakt plaster to create sand-coloured bathrooms with globe-shaped lights and rounded mirrors, while floors are concrete or pale wood.
    The penthouses also have balconies overlooking Wood WharfThe duplex penthouses are the last part of One Park Drive to be completed. The skyscraper, which contains 484 apartments in total, forms part of developer Canary Wharf Group’s plan to add homes to the predominantly commercial Canary Wharf neighbourhood.
    Other recent projects by Tom Dixon include a twentieth-anniversary exhibition that featured mycelium towers and Design Research Studio’s design for restaurant The Manzoni.

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    YSG designs playful Sydney penthouse for empty nesters

    Australian studio YSG has added quirky fixtures and furnishings to this penthouse in Sydney’s Darlinghurst neighbourhood to suit the owners’ new post-lockdown design tastes.

    Drawing on references from tiled Spanish tapas bars to the colour palette of surrealist artworks, YSG gutted the apartment’s formerly “sober” interior to make way for a bolder fit-out.
    A fluffy armchair decorates the lounge of the Dream Weaver penthouseThe owners’ newfound freedom as empty nesters, alongside the lifestyle changes brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, played a key part in their wish for more aesthetically striking living quarters, according to YSG.
    “The past year of being sequestered at home amplified their desire for individual expression and more colourful injections regarding final furnishing selections,” the studio explained.
    “As consummate entertainers, they also requested conversational custom pieces.”

    Slabs of blue lapis lazuli stone clad the kitchen prep counterThe living room is now dressed with thick pile rugs, purple patchwork sofas and a shaggy pink armchair.
    A zingy pop of colour is provided by a trio of Murano glass floor lamps with contrasting transparent and metallic gold stripes. Nearby, a sliding door was inset with a matching amber-tinted porthole.
    Lapis lazuli is also incorporated into the custom drinks trolleyAlmost-black cabinetry was fitted in the adjacent kitchen alongside a backlit steel-framed shelf, which YSG said helps to display the owners’ tableware with “museum-like finesse”.
    The space is anchored by a blocky prep counter clad in purposely mismatched lapis lazuli stone slabs. A sculptural white breakfast bar is fitted with a rotating granite platter, on which the owners can present cheese and canapes when guests are over.
    A plum-red bed centres the principal bedroomJust beyond the kitchen is a dining area complete with a wooden table that was made bespoke by YSG and local industrial designer Adam Goodrum.
    There’s also a custom drinks trolley that features a worktop and handles made from the same blue lapis lazuli stone that covers the prep counter.
    At the back of the space is a wall overlaid with glossy off-white Moroccan tiles that reflect light around the room.

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    A similar medley of materials and colours can be found in the principal bedroom, which was extended out onto the penthouse’s terrace to make space for a study nook and walk-in wardrobe.
    At the heart of the room is a bespoke wood-veneer bed frame stained in plum red and topped with a Calacatta Viola marble headboard. Berry-hued pendant lights are suspended at different heights directly overhead.
    The adjoining en-suite bathroom features an onyx stone surroundIn the ensuite bathroom, the studio installed a panel of veiny onyx that winds its way around the shower cubicle and beneath a row of mirrored vanity cabinets, at which point it turns into a ledge with two integrated sinks.
    Similar stone fixtures were created in the guest bathroom and the moodier main bathroom, which is entirely clad in deep indigo tiles.
    Indigo tiles create a moodier feel in the family bathroomAround the terrace, YSG added a number of large potted plants and succulents to keep the outdoor area out of sight from neighbouring properties.
    The space is dressed with blue furnishings that create a visual link to the waters of Rushcutter Bay, which can be seen in the distance.
    Tall plants provide privacy to the penthouse’s terraceYSG was established in 2020 and is led by designer Yasmine Saleh Ghoniem.
    The studio has completed a number of projects in its hometown of Sydney, including a family house with tactile interiors and a moody gin bar featuring black walls and juniper berry-blue furnishings.
    The photography is by Prue Ruscoe.
    Project credits:
    Design: YSGStyling: Felicity NgBuilding: Promena Projects

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