Portuguese architect Pedro Varela and Renata Pinho recently completed the renovation of an apartment in Portugal. For this old apartment has been designed yellow design in the style of 1970th, which has a playful shapes and geometric volumes. Of course, the main element of the renovated apartments – a large yellow storage system, which can be transformed completely, as well as shared rooms.
The architects had to project the redesign of the apartment which had to deal with programmatic and design related issues, which were very specific.
They had as main tasks to replace the existing floor, redesign the kitchen – while keeping the laundry space – and create abundant storage space which is always necessary in limited sized apartments whereby the bathrooms and the master bedroom intervention is a welcome bonus to what was essential throughout the redesigning process.
Upon entering, one of the first things you notice is the natural rubber flooring in a light grey tone which has replaced the former flooring and runs throughout the residence. A large cadmium yellow constructed storage centerpiece runs from one wall of the apartment to the other,interrupted by a void passageway which leads to the remainder of the apartment.
At first glance, the never-ending cadmium yellow centerpiece looks like a storage space, however this is not entirely the case; this large centerpiece is multi-functional and acts as a partition, a storage space and an entirely transformable kitchen!
On one side of the cadmium yellow volume, the architects have positioned the kitchen, which according to the architects is ”like a big flipping machine, with a replaceable counter, convertible laundry room and hidden storage in a clean layout.”
Due to the fact that the kitchen has no walls, apart from a glass partition flipping door, and it is entirely opened plan; the truth is that it had to be designed in such a way as to provide for a clean layout solution.
In conclusion, architects Pedro Varela and Renata Pinho have designed a functional space, which seems to have been completed on a low budget. It’s playful, functional, and takes full advantage of the ‘lost’ spaces within an apartment. However, undoubtedly our favorite piece within this residence is the cadmium yellow centerpiece which multi-functions and supports various uses.
