Almost Blue

The apartment occupies the third floor of a residential building forming part of the continuous urban block located between Via Padova and Largo Telaviv in Milan.

The project stems from the need to release the existing space from its original, highly compartmentalised layout, transforming the dwelling into a single environment that can nevertheless be reconfigured when required. Drawing on the principles of spatial flexibility and the indeterminate character of contemporary living — in which functional boundaries between domestic areas increasingly dissolve in favour of hybrid uses — the new layout establishes an open living space with an integrated kitchen, separable from the bedroom by means of a transparent sliding partition made of polycarbonate.

The new arrangement completely overturns the original configuration: the living area now faces the street with a south-west exposure, while the bedroom is relocated towards the internal courtyard, gaining both privacy and improved acoustic comfort.

Working within a very limited budget became an opportunity to adopt an experimental approach, both in spatial organisation and in material selection. Alongside the reuse of existing elements — such as the original cement tiles and the exposed concrete wall preserved in the bedroom — unconventional materials are introduced, including polycarbonate, steel, resin flooring and exposed clay brick blocks.

The demolition of the entrance corridor and former kitchenette required the insertion of a continuous blue resin floor. The kitchen, articulated between the working counter and tall storage units, together with the new bathroom access, led to the design of two full-height doors which, depending on their position, continually redefine the reading of the wall. The opposite wall appears as a continuous fitted surface which seamlessly integrates the kitchen, the living room bookcase and the bedroom wardrobe.