Our homes are changing rapidly as they are being asked to accommodate more and more functions. The same space used during the day as an office or playroom can moonlight as a living room or bedroom. When tasked with transforming a classic apartment in Milan – traditionally fragmented into several smaller rooms – practical local architecture Atelierzero took a bold approach.
The imposing, local firm removed most of the non-load-bearing walls and methodically inserted a series of furniture-like inserts that separate the now-main unit and the adjacent studio home, but also allow for smooth, near-seamless transitions when needed. There are no doors, at least in the conventional sense.
The distinct but complementary color block renders the folding, geometrically architectural volumes as autonomous elements, assembled almost like a miniature on the city skyline: buildings of various dimensions placed next to each other.
Inspired by the colonnaded arcades found throughout the northern Italian metropolis—and the shopping streets below—the main corridor, dressed in a warm orange, serves as the main axis of the apartment. The Carlo Scarpa-like terrazzo floor is an emphatic “if-you-know-you” in context. On one side, straight cut-outs lead to the apartment’s main entertainment area. On the other side, built-in cupboard hatches open to a powder room, utility room, en-suite bedroom and semi-detached studio.
Taking pride of place in the apartment’s great ‘main hearth’ room, the grey-toned kitchen unit seems to float on its own. It also strategically shields the more intimate study and dining area towards its rear.
Furniture from unmistakably Milanese but globally recognized design brands B&B Italia, CC-Tapis, Oluce and Flos are mixed with iconic reissues from equally iconic producers Artek, Marset and Thonet.
This clever, sparingly introduced curation brings everything together and softens what would otherwise be an intensely crystalline interior. The visual and visceral composition is interesting. The adjacent studio reflects the same cohesive strategy, ensuring that both spaces are present as a single, albeit physically disconnected, whole.
To see more work from the bold company, visit atelierzero.it.
Photo by Studio mirrors.
