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Architects: Kilo / Honc
- Area: 35 m²
- Year: 2021
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Photographs:Matej Hakár
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Manufacturers: Berker, Carpet Vista, Element, HAY, Ikea, Karup Design, Mawa Design, Muuto, Nesia, Osmont
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Lead Architects: Richard Kilo, Matej Honč
Text description provided by the architects. The apartment Next to The Blue Church is a kind of weekend loft close to the historical center of Bratislava. In its original state, it was rather a larger and rigid "cell" with hidden potential and a beautiful view of the Art Nouveau monument called “The Blue Church”. We were not looking for a design or a careful and meticulous craft for this apartment, it was not important for us, because it would not give you that experience of well-being. For us, it was mainly about views, openings, atmospheres, location, the play of light and shadow.
Therefore, the materials are largely transparent and functional. We let the open space stand out with its high ceilings. The original standard layout offered a separate bathroom, a lowered plasterboard ceiling with all possible hidden wiring and technology, and a kitchen leaning against the wall turned with its back towards the view of the Blue Church. By removing the ceiling, reorganizing the technological infrastructure, and inserting a mezzanine floor, this studio became a full-fledged apartment with a separate night zone and a comfortable staircase.
The inserted floor expanded the floor area by about additional 15 square meters. By using a wall from translucent glass blocks between the bathroom and the new kitchen, we brought daylight into the kitchen area, so that space appears optically larger. The same wall separates the bathroom zone with a shower on the opposite side.
The apartment is equipped only with the most essential objects with generous proportions. There is a 1.2-meter-deep daybed instead of a traditional sofa, the generous white walls are used as projection screens instead of holding a big TV. On the upper floor, there is a sleeping area, a set of shelves for clothes, and a large rug for daily lounging.
We like when there does not have to be strict order in the apartment when a person is in constant interaction with the surrounding environment, allowed to rediscover and modify it over time. We enjoy when space encourages creativity when its character can change without the loss of quality when it offers a variety of different scales for people to interact with.
