The project is located in an old jugendstil building from 1901, in the Neustadt area in Strasbourg. This large duplex apartment occupies the former attic of the building. It has been created through the conversion of old maid rooms and the above loft that was used for storage.Throughout the project the material palette is restrained: wood flooring, black MDF that is dyed in the mass for the fixed furniture, large sheets of thin ceramic in the bathrooms and kitchen top. The organisation is simple: all rooms (bedrooms, bathrooms, office, family room) are located on the entrance level of the apartment, whereas the top floor is one open loftspace with kitchen, living and dining area.
The entrance hall is a double ceiling height space with skylight that opens largely onto the family room. It is positioned att the heart of the apartment distributing on one side the master bedrooms and children bedrooms, and on the other guest bedroom and office space. Here, a black box consisting of dyed MDF panels and doors act as boundary concealing bedroom, bathroom and storage spaces.
The existing varnished pinewood flooring, that had become orange-yellow over time, has been kept and renovated. The pine boards have been treated in a scandinavian fashion with lye to block the pigments and prevent the wood from yellowing, then soaped for the finish. This gives the boards a pale-white, semi-mat aspect that is very soft to the touch. The master bedroom is conceived as a little suite with walk-in wardrobe and adjoining bathroom. Natural light flows through an added large glazed panel in the roof while the existing small windows offer a view on the surrounding park. The bathroom flooring, walls and top are made of large mat marble ceramic tiles (3x1m), while the furniture is made of black dyed MDF.
The same black MDF material, being dyed in the mass and less prone to surface chipping compared to tainted or lacquered wood, is also used for the stairs. The railings are made of laminated glass. The upper floor is organized with the kitchen on one side, a fireplace and living room on the other, dining area in the center. Only the chimney masonry from the lower floor apartments interrupts the open plan. The living room faces a large terrace that is partly sunken into the roof. The built in fireplace is flanked with concealed storage spaces and bar. In the kitchen, the same MDF has been used for the woodwork and wall paneling. The kitchen island is finished with marble ceramic.
