Apartment VR
In the innovative “Nieuw Zuid” (New South) neighbourhood at the edge of Antwerp’s city centre, POLO designed a spacious apartment tailored to the client's lifestyle and evolving needs. Located on the 19th floor of a new high-rise, large windows and sliding doors give out on wraparound terraces. Sweeping, unblocked views of the city and suburbs seduce and inspire.
Our interior design does not try to compete with this panoramic splendour but sets out to provide a refined sanctuary from where to admire it. Natural surfaces envelop and conceal the inevitable everyday clutter in a seemingly seamless manner. Wall finishes fuse into built-in cabinetry and integrate frameless doors. As such the focus stays on the fascinating scenery, whilst the interior diligently and quietly takes care of all creature comforts.
Continuity of materials
Natural stone and timber panelling infuse the interior with warmth and natural textures against a base canvas of white painted surfaces. Travertine walls merge into floors of the same material; oak veneer wall panels combine with solid oak parquet flooring.
These continuities envelop the inhabitant within a protective shell; this is not an interior of precious objects standing freely in space but of articulated surfaces integrating functions and facilities. We see this clearly in the bathrooms, where the same travertine stone is used as floor finish, wall tile and cabinetry — yes, even the doors are cleverly engineered natural stone panels.
Wall coverings generally span from floor to ceiling, giving a calming vertical rhythm to the spaces. Within these homogenous finishes, here and there some counter-height stone or timber panels receive a grooved treatment, adding subtle variation, tactility and scale to those materials.
Full height doors integrate perfectly into this verticality, whether they are pivot doors, pocket sliding doors or hinged frameless doors. When opened we get to experience a continuity of space from one room to the next through slender vertical openings. The result is a sense of openness and generosity that contrasts sharply with the fragmented experience often associated with standard-height doors.
A flexible backdrop for work, life and play
Flexibility is subtly integrated into the design, allowing the apartment to adapt to changing needs over time without compromising its character as a single, coherent residence.
In a further move towards versatility, two of the three bedrooms feature beds that can be fully concealed within custom wall cabinetry, instantly transforming the rooms into offices or multipurpose spaces. This allows the apartment to accommodate different ways of living, working and hosting, while maintaining a calm and uncluttered appearance.
Throughout the project, bespoke joinery and carefully considered spatial solutions support a lifestyle that balances comfort, functionality and elegance, always with the panoramic city views as the apartment’s defining feature.
