Living room

Photo by X-TERN. (c) 2008 X-TERN. Pubblicata il 24 Dicembre 2011.

The apartment is located at the first floor of an historical building of the end of the 19th century in downtown Merano, very close to the “Elizabeth Park”, a peaceful green area dedicated to the unlucky Sissi, Empress of Austria. The client, a young Dermatologist with a passion for Arts, back to his homeland after studying and working abroad, wanted to radically renovate his new house in order to make it the perfect place to lead the new stage of his life. The project’s challenge was to find a balance between classic and contemporary language through a mix of a rationalist design, modern technology and injections of drops of the client’s childhood memories.

Entrance

Photo by X-TERN. (c) 2008 X-TERN. Pubblicata il 24 Dicembre 2011.

The key change in plan was the new clear separation between the most private area of the apartment (the sleeping area) and the daytime space (hall, living, studio). The architectural device was a sort of multiple-task piece of furniture located at the end of the entrance hall, equipped with a semi-transparent glass curtain. Besides being as a sort of rival project facing the new entrance door, this core element of the scheme works as a guest wardrobe and sculptural lighting element in the part facing the hall, as well as a “magical box” hosting the washing/drying machines in the part behind the glass doors. The iconic concept for this element was inspired by the fact that the owner spent his childhood living not far from a chestnut wood. Those trees were always magical elements to him and always looked as doors to mysterious worlds in his imagination.

Hall, detail

Photo by X-TERN. (c) 2008 X-TERN. Pubblicata il 24 Dicembre 2011.

Main bedroom

Photo by X-TERN. (c) 2008 X-TERN. Pubblicata il 24 Dicembre 2011.

Main bedroom, detail

Photo by X-TERN. (c) 2008 X-TERN. Pubblicata il 24 Dicembre 2011.