Apartment VR
In the innovative “Nieuw Zuid” (New South) neighbourhood at the edge of Antwerp’s city centre we consider the possibilities offered by two adjacent apartments purchased by our client. We devise a layout that offers the opportunity to use the space as one expansive residence while retaining the option of dividing it into two separately functioning dwellings.
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 these vertical slots. This introduces an airy and spacious quality to the apartment that is very different from the spatial fragmentation across the rooms of a dwelling with standard height doors.
A flexible backdrop for work, life and play
POLO devised a sliding partition between the two apartments that also acts as an acoustic barrier; as such the two apartments can function on their own and be used as separate units.
In a further move to flexibility, two out of three bedrooms have beds that can completely fold up into a wall cabinet, transforming the room into an office or multipurpose space. In this way these rooms can be used differently according to the current configuration and occupation of the apartment or apartments.
