untitled architecture brings natural light into a compact apartment in milan

located within an old residential building in milan, italy, untitled architecture has renovated an existing dark attic space, into a bright and airy contemporary apartment. challenged with size constraints of the compact space – the area measures 323 ft2 (30 m2) in total – the project maximises the original space to form a home that seems bigger than it’s modest dimensions. by reshaping the original plan and increasing the amount of natural light, the resulting space forms an airy, yet intimate, home.

the living area of the apartment

all images © giovanni emilio galanello

the square layout is planned by the architects around a stainless steel column situated in the center of the apartment. around this central element, the kitchen, bathroom, living and working spaces form four distinct areas. while delimiting separate zones for different functions, a level of transparency and openness is maintained between each, save the bathroom. located on a mezzanine level, the compact bedroom is reached via a semi-cylindrical staircase. made up of three materials – natural marble, steel and wood – the form of the stairs becomes an almost sculptural feature, as it’s rounded shape contrasts with the straight lines that proliferate the rest of the space.

the bright and airy space is framed by the wooden built-in furniture on the perimeter

in order to maximise the floor space, all of the furniture has been built along the perimeter of the walls of the apartment, leaving as much free space as possible. these cabinets are formed in light-colored timber, in keeping with the rest of the apartment which is decorated in white plastered walls and oak timber flooring. the few elements of aluminium work to accentuate the space and importantly, the central column feature. the blue steel works in a similar fashion, subtly following and highlighting the curves of the stairwell. 

the work space

a restricted palette of materials has been used throughout the apartment to create visual continuity. for example, the oak counter top in the bathroom is made of flooring, and, similarly, the sliding door has been manufactured from the same type of wood used for the furniture. the bathroom is a clean, white room covered in square tiles with blue grout, which creates, colour- wise, a visual connection to the tubular frame structure of the stairs. an additional feature of the bathroom block is the ventilation pipe located on the mezzanine floor, made in aluminum, underlining its presence. the two enlarged skylight windows invite plenty of light into the apartment creating the luminous atmosphere and expanding the volume of the interior space.

kitchen area

the furniture is built-in around the perimeter of the apartment to free up space

the bonding kitchen angle element formed in aluminium

a view towards the bathroom area of the apartment and the semi-cylindrical stairs leading to the mezzanine bedroom area

the semi-cylindrical stairs, composed of three main materials – marble, steel and wood

detail of the handrail in blue painted tubular steel

the bathroom block situated directly under the mezzanine floor

detailed view of the staircase

the curved shape of the stairs creates a vivid contrast with the rigid geometry of the apartment

floor plan of the apartment

isometric view of the entire apartment space

project info:

project type: private apartment

location: milan, italy

design: untitled architecture

project team: bogdan peric, andrey mikhalev, stefano floris, evgenia sokolova

area: 323 ft2 (30 m2)

photography: giovanni emilio galanello

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom