Architecture studio Petr Janda / brainwork has converted a space on the 8th floor of a former Baťa shoe factory building overlooking the green heart of Zlín, Czech Republic, into a minimalist loft. Its design aims to integrate the town’s image into the space of the apartment. The design approach contradicts the usual loft-making procedure, which emphasizes industrial materials in the interior, by transforming the space into an abstract composition with the industrial aspect presented through the view of the surrounding area, framed by the Zlín skyscraper and the valley.
The inner space features the gradual opening of the individual epicenters of the apartment. Its open space allows the separation of the social and private parts by using multi-level differentiation, rather than sharp divides. The interior is defined by the main social space, framed by the curved furniture partition wall and the built-in kitchen, which hides two rooms, a bathroom, an entrance hall, and a “secret” staircase. The main elevated space can be accessed through this partition, defined by the ramp gently ascending from the kitchen and dining area, past the play area in front of the window and through the space between the two atypical sofas to the bedroom, with its built-in round bathtub.
The space is formed by the symbiotic structure composed of triangles that spirals around the centre of the layout and creates a stage that also functions as an auditorium, offering a view of the town. The materials are in fine shades of white – whitened birch plywood, white leatherette upholstery and white PVC flooring – accentuated with glass railing dividers and sliding bedroom partitions, with the kitchen in high gloss and mosaic tiles.
