A Spatial Loft
Heading to Austria in a few days, I looked into the recent achievements in interior design in this country. Here is a beautiful loft in Salzburg by Smartvoll.
When they won the international contest for a loft in the Panzerhalle in 2013, Smartvoll had the challenge to modify 350sqm over two levels. Their design captivates through specific, spatial dramaturgy.
One thing was clear to Adolf Loos, founder of smartvoll: "I never play with the façade, I do not live there“. So a special focus was lying on the exhaustion of materials and of what is technologically possible. The room- and material-concept develops the encountered and retains the established. Smoothed and waxed concrete is one of the decisive materials for shaping the interior.
"We wanted to revitalize the space’s original charm. Magnanimity and a spatial experience of both storeys were priorities. In all dimensions."
The space is not only being preserved, but it is being enriched by completely new qualities. In order to ensure consistent brightness everywhere, smartvoll decided to forgo typical galleries and to basically leave the upper ribbon window free. Bedroom, bathroom and guestroom are distributed throughout the space, as separate bodies. The epicenter of the room is the kitchen – a seven-meter-long block. The whole composition is rounded off by a concrete sculpture, or stair sculpture, which not only opens up all rooms, but also appears to be carrying them.
“Through the stair sculpture, which spans across the rooms, you do not see the way between the levels as a vertical, functional connection, but rather as an electric spatial experience.”
Incidentally, the sculpture divides the room, creates a roof over the kitchen, recesses and elevations and therefore allows you to stay in motion – and to see everything from everywhere. The same applies to the glass shower, which protrudes from the fully glazed bathing block at a height of five meters. The absolute highlight, albeit being a bit hidden, is the wellness area. Fireplace included.
The stairs are an architecture within the architecture. Concreted in-house, the engineering is being exhausted in all respects. A tender object with minimal dimensions, but tremendous spatial impact. Something that does not allow for competition: Besides the concrete, only subtle, semi-transparent materials are being used, such as Profilit, to separate the guest area, curtains for the bedroom or integrated furniture, like a hanging steel shelf. Every other piece of furniture seems to be integrated into the construction.
At the lower level, the room is connected to two balconies. However, even this façade aligns itself with the carriers of the concrete sculpture in the slant; the balconies look like additional alcoves of the overall concept. They feature a contemplative zen-garden, including a grassy knoll, a tree jasmine and a classic relax-terrace.
Smartvoll won the prestigious AZ Award 2018 for this project in Salzburg, Austria. During the annual gala held in Toronto last July, 64 finalists from more than 950 submissions competed for the trophy. The Loft Panzerhalle won the award in the residential interior category.
