Twin Lofts

In this renovation and interior design project, the architect Federico Delrosso converted a dated industrial building in Milan into two twin lofts. One houses the architect’s own home-studio; the other is the private residence of a fashion designer.

Arranged on four levels, the lofts were created in parallel, each housed within an extended portion of the building. Along the shorter end, the entrance mirrors vast, full-length windows, which open onto a small garden. On the second floor, instead, the windows lead to a terrace.

Both lofts have the same internal – albeit, specular – layout, though each is characterized by its own architectural solutions and furnishings.
Entrance and kitchen are located on the ground floor. The white, glazed wood containers in the kitchen were ideated to provide perceptual continuity to individual elements and the Corion counter, which contains a seamless sink. Made of Tecnosintex resin, the gray flooring is a neutral element, which, in its opaqueness, contributes a softer tone to the bright light of the garden entry.

Joining structure, the raw, pickled iron staircase is the loft’s characterizing trait. It provides visual disparity from the fully white walls and furnishings. Centered on a modular element, the staircase is flanked by iron walls typified by apparent welded joints. Though it is a unifying factor, it also serves to create a sharp visual contrast: a powerful pivotal structure immersed in candid surroundings.

On the ground floor, the staircase houses a small bathroom that boasts a unique solution in natural lighting formed by the indentures in the steps. White also dominates the bright living room with its pale flooring. A corner sofa and various pouffes form a large and truly unique seating arrangement. A portion of glass slab helps create unbroken continuity between the two levels, allowing a view onto the kitchen while creating interrelated spaces.
As it leads from the first level, the staircase is overturned, providing access to the second floor via slender iron steps, their weight reduced by the thinness of the supporting structure. A transparent, imperceptible glass balustrade leads to the bedrooms in an area characterized by a relaxing space marked by few, though powerful furnishings: the historic Barcelona armchair in white leather and a large, imposing mirror – designed by Philip Starck for Fiamm – along the wall. This area leads to a bathroom and the bedroom, with a circular bed, a distinctive element that breaks with the strict orthogonal geometry of the surroundings. A large wall closet is concealed behind soft, pale curtains, similar to those accessorizing the large window accessing the terrace. In addition to natural light, the discreet artificial lighting integrated within the walls includes the mimetic Mima lamp, designed by Delrosso for Davide Groppi.

The last floor houses a guest room. Again, white dominates, encompassing walls as well as the thin balustrade that extends throughout the entire perimeter of the room.

Description by architect