Antonio Corcuera, Aitana Lleonart. The Big Book of Lofts

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Photos: © Laurent Brandajs

LOFT BERTHELOT

Bang Architects

his project involved the restoration of a disused industrial building that

has been converted into two lofts. The structure, jointly owned, has

been divided into various floors that house the two units. The first

accommodates the work study on the 1,291-square-foot ground floor, a large

space in which the different work areas are laid out: the office, the meetings

area, the library, and a small kitchen.

One of the original walls was converted into large French windows to

absorb the maximum natural light. The table for meetings and the kitchen

are positioned alongside these immense windows. The kitchen is hidden

behind an island type of structure covered by a sheet of red methacrylate on

the most visible part. The library stretches along the entire wall in front of

this area, and is a structure of sliding doors that, when closed, resemble a

continuous wall of wooden panels. This structure reaches the other zone of

the loft, which is subtly separated by the staircase that leads to the upper

floor where the bathrooms and dressing room are located. The office and

the more informal rooms are sited in this second space of the lower floor.

Part of the ceiling has been covered in glass panels, which enable both

spaces to be connected and allow the flow of light.

The character of the old industrial building in which the studio is housed

is reflected in the iron used in the columns and in the frames of the French

windows, as well as in the stairs that climb to the upper floor. The white

bricks that cover some of the walls have also been conserved from the

original building, thus bringing continuity and coherence with the exterior

facade. The combination of the white walls and ceilings with the wooden

panels and cupboards, along with the glass elements, creates a modern,

warm, and contemporary ambience.

Bang Architects

LOFT

BERTHELOT

1O4

U The brick wall painted white, as well as the

solid iron staircase, recalls the industrial char-

acter of the old building in which the

studio is housed.

105

D The kitchen zone is situated under the service area of the upper level.

The meetings area, opposite from the kitchen, has a double-height ceiling

that creates a more spacious feel. More useful space was created by using

the walls to locate the cupboards and library.

Bang Architects

106

IZI The l,291-square-foot ground floor houses several different work areas,

such as the office, the meetings table, and a hidden kitchen.

The combination of the white walls and ceilings with the wooden panels

and cupboards, along with the glass elements, creates a modern, warm,

and contemporary ambience.

LOFT BERTHELOT

109

DUPLEX KANG

Shi-Chieh Lu/CJ Studio

Photos: © Kuomin Lee

he project consists in the remodeling of a duplex apartment located in

a busy street in the center of Taipei. Due to the terraced building's

design, the surface of the floor presented a narrow and long structure with

few natural light sources. To overcome this problem the back facade has

been replaced with frosted glass, and the walls, the floors, and the ceiling

have been painted in white to bring continuity to the project, drawing

inspiration from the ancient oriental art of origami.

The two levels of the dwelling are connected by a methacrylate staircase

near the exterior facade, which originates from the structure that forms the

sofa, curving around the corner and reaching a point under the window

from which the steps begin to climb. On flattening out this structure is

converted into a staircase with protruding, transparent steps, allowing the

flow of light from inside and leading to the study situated on the upper floor.

Just on the other side, another staircase, which links the bedroom and the

kitchen, has been planned in order to enhance the fluidity of the design.

In this way, the complete space of the duplex can be seen as a loop in

constant movement, strengthened by a glass structure that visually unites

both levels.

The entrance consists of a convex structure that makes the area even

narrower and features turquoise methacrylate kitchen cupboards

fitted to produce a light contrast with the dominating white decor. The

lounge is located at the far end of this space, complete with minimal

furniture to keeping with the theme of simplicity. The wooden floor on the

upper level brings a much warmer air to the private zones, such as the

office, complete with original shelves, and the bedroom, which is located

between the dressing room and the en suite bathroom. Few spaces succeed

in integrating the features and elements in such a subtle way as well as this

one does. The simplicity and the emptiness of this loft offer a refuge of

protected serenity from the chaos and agglomeration of the city.

Shi-Chieh Lu/Cj Studio

n DUPLEX

KANG