Description

The irregular pentagonal form of the building was determined by the shape of the lot. In plan, the building layout is organized into ring-like layers with a generous, top-lit access and circulation atrium at the core. The space-defining cascading stairs within this atrium provide access to up to five units per floor. This strikingly sculptural space functions as a neighbourly intersection and also gives each apartment a unique “address” thanks to the staggered stairs and alternating mezzanine sections. All unit entrances are located in the corners of the atrium; in the apartments’ interior, the space opens up, widening like a fan toward the outer corners and extending out onto the rounded balcony bays. The kitchen units are placed near the entrance – the first element in a series of ancillary rooms with bathrooms and storage rooms – offering anyone who enters an immediate focal point much like a counter. Bedrooms follow to the left and right, in part as a kind of private block inserted into the communal space, in part strung along small corridors on both sides. The building is clad in a layer of undulating, flexible metal mesh, which is permeable to light while providing sun protection and a visual screen for privacy.

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Originally published in: Oliver Heckmann, Friederike Schneider (eds.), Floor Plan Manual Housing, fourth revised and expanded edition, Birkhäuser, 2011.