viralbandit
Architecture practice Gosplan has refurbished a house in the middle of the Genovan countryside, installing a cross-shaped structure in the center of the building to connect all aspects of the single-story apartment.
Located amongst a sea of chestnut trees, this house in Italy was originally characterized by a long corridor that cut through the middle of the space. The corridor led off to several rooms either side and made the apartment disjointed and cut up. Local architecture practice Gosplan removed this one directional corridor and replaced it with a cross-shaped structure that became the nucleus of the house.
This cross-shaped piece of furniture was inspired by Russian artist El Lissitzky’s Proun suprematist artwork which is typified by multiple perspectives and axes. The large structure, which is made of custom-made natural durmas and medium density fibreboards, contains a set of stairs, a storage closet, shelves and kitchen cabinets. It connects the ground floor to an upstairs attic and acts as a space saving storage unit, providing the residents with more open plan space in the home.
Space has been further maximized by clever use of sliding doors and hidden compartments. A sliding mirror hides the entrance to the master bedroom which is located at one end of the cross. The architects also transformed the former storage room into a second bathroom, in a bid to utilize all rooms in the best way possible.
