Description

The building is sited along the full length of a triangular, inner city block, defining the corners of the block with its distinctive curves. The standard floor plan of the apartments is defined by an open-plan area that runs on a diagonal from front to back: from the south-facing balcony on the courtyard side to the bays on the street side. Although the living area is only 2 m wide, it opens diagonally into the kitchen and the living room, respectively.

On the other sides, the two individual rooms are linked along the facades with sliding doors, making it possible to experience the full width of the apartment when these are opened. The floor-plan pattern that emerges – also by means of the seamless integration of built-in cabinets and kitchen counters, the placement of the bathroom behind the access core, and the option of partitioning the large living area – creates an ambiguous, open space with natural zones for access, eating, cooking, and living.

Due to the alternating crosswise arrangement of the floor plans from one level to the next, the bays also appear in an alternating fashion on the exterior, creating a dynamic external expression that reflects the diagonals in the internal layout, thus informing the sculptural character of the entire building.

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