This unique attic apartment was renovated with great attention to detail by AE5 partners in order to meet and surpass contemporary standards of elegance and luxury. Located in Milan, Italy, the abode features 1,237 square feet of living space and was completed in 2009. Its vertical walls were transformed into surfaces that allow the passing of natural light, which means that the entire apartment gives off a feeling of warmth and comfort.
The living areas are complemented by an outdoor terrace, which provides great opportunities for fun and relaxation. In order to mark the continuity between the terrace and the living areas, the architects implemented teak flooring in both spaces. The technical elements are hidden from sight with the help of cubic volumes or right angles.
One of the most impressive highlights of this particular project comes in the form of a large whirlpool bath that features a chromo therapy system and a heating system that makes sure that the water is always at a warm temperature even during the cold months.
From the architect:
The space of an attic has been reinvented with great skill and sensitivity to the intrinsically architectural aspects. The vertical walls have been turned into light-permeable surfaces, leading onto the exterior areas, where the large terrace can be used as an extension to the living quarters.
The two spaces have been turned into one environment not only due to the dominant white used for the plaster and furniture and treated with a special finish to merge them, but also the precise location of the steps between the actual home and the terrace, especially in the case of the large French window in the living room. There are no preordained pathways, but you enter and exit the living spaces in opposite directions.
This spatial continuity between the interior and exterior is highlighted by the teak flooring.
Great attention has been paid to comfort and function, and to the private use of the house: this results in the extreme functionality of the fixtures that fit the setting to perfection. A priority has been the desire to hide all technical fittings and transform them into simple pure volumes, using cube forms or right angles.
This means it is impossible to detect the technical elements of the kitchen, as these are carefully hidden inside sliding and tilting surfaces.
The two islands forming the complex control station in the living room are transformed into two metaphysical rectangular volumes embedded in the wall. The hood over the stove in the kitchen departs from a horizontal surface much like a submarine telescope, while the double sided fireplace between the living room and the terrace is disguised using a new system of paths between the interior and exterior areas.
All items have been properly designed, constructed and located according to a geometric plan that creates a homogeneous continuous sense of decoration for all surfaces in each room. No one element predominates.
The only elements that do not comply with this plan are the two solid teak tables that can be combined and moved to any part of the house and the large library with its circular portholes that give a touch of color to the long corridor.
In contrast to this functional mimicry are the green walls, the real stars of the apartment and beloved by the owners.
Looking onto the terrace from all the rooms, the view is always focused on one of the vertical garden modules, arranged in a strict geometric pattern based on the 1 +1 +2 form, perfectly mirroring the apertures in the large brick wall.
The choice of plants was made using the same criteria used for the furniture. At all times of year there will be certain plants in bloom; the color of the blooms has been selected to ensure a precise chromatic compositional order.
This means that the terrace can be used in all seasons, thanks also to the large whirlpool bath equipped with chromo therapy, filtration and heating systems capable of bringing the water to the desired temperature even in colder climates.
Collaborators: Stefano Tozzi, Hidenari Arai
Area: 115.0 sqm
Year: 2009
Photographs: Laura Cantarella
