The design by Fala Atelier relies on the transparency of glass to separate the program from the home while providing the spaces with natural lighting along the two levels of the home, serving at the same time to hide elements such as the stairs to the upper level or the bathrooms on the lower level.
The accents of red, marble and wood stand out against a background of white tiles and glass blocks, giving shape to the home. The longitudinal axis that organizes the home connects the access with the interior patio, highlighted by two metal masks that separate the interior from the views of the outside.
097 Waves of Glass and Clouds of Metal by Fala Atelier. Photograph by Francisco Ascensao.
Project description by Fala Atelier
A ground floor shop in a banal and narrow 70’s housing block was to be transformed into an apartment for two. The program is clear, but the layout is not so much.
Waves of glass brick and clouds of metal mesh solve a non-domestic space that could remain as such. Two curved walls run smoothly through both levels gently dissociating private and public. A longitudinal axis is emphasised by two metallic masks. The back façade is a compound layering of glass, mirrors, metallic cutouts, steady patterns, and fiddly handrails. The front is a misty mass of clouds.
The material palette dissolves the traditional boundaries of a house. Vast surfaces of glass brick, tiles and light blue are occasionally interrupted by dots of marble, lines of wood and blatant red elements. One could refer to Ito's sense of erotic transparency and Hasegawa's experiments with overlays and layers.
The project is a spectacular answer to a non spectacular question. The domestic space is a stage and dwelling becomes performing; the user becomes an actor and spectator to the routines of daily life.
