Building renovation
Les Acanthes
Type
Location
Montecarlo, Monaco
Year
2019
Surface area
260 m2 apartment | 280 m2 terraces
Client
Private
Head Designer
Arch. Marco Vigo
Construction Management
Ing. Giorgio Piliego
Professional services
Concept, architectural and interior design, art direction, construction management
Les Acanthes
The project arises from the need to to join two apartments in a duplex to create a single large apartment over two levels at the top of a tower building, on the twelfth and thirteenth floors, in Monte Carlo.
Most of the distribution partitions in the building were made of reinforced concrete so it was possible to make cuts and openings without modifying the layout completely.
While, on the one hand, this was a design constraint, on the other it created the possibility of inserting a rooftop swimming pool since the supporting structure built in this way meant that the building already had a good load-bearing capacity.
The work on the terrace area gives a different connotation to the apartment, which takes on the layout of an urban villa on the top floor with outdoor spaces, detaching itself from the concept of an apartment only.
The project has been studied with close attention to both the distribution layouts schemes and the construction details.
In fact the connection between the two floors was very weak as there were two small staircases in the two units.
One of the project’s main objectives was to connect the two floors with a new staircase that is both scenic and large so that it also creates a double height near it. The staircase, with its spiral shape, has been positioned in a central position and close to the entrance, so that the apartment’s distribution over two levels is immediately perceived and a good connection with the terrace floor is ensured.
In the new design layout, the living area is divided into a kitchen, dining room, large living room and study, with a guest toilet; the sleeping area is made up of four bedrooms, each with its own private bathroom, as per the client’s requirements.
The entrance area opens into a large hallway that leads to the open kitchen designed together with Boffi. This space feels informal as the owners are a young couple who wanted a kitchen that is open to the dining area, through which you pass in to the living room.
Another of the key points of the project was to let the perimeter windows be visible from all angles, not closing off the space with walls on the perimeter partitions, so as to allow the light to filter into the various rooms.
The mobile glass elements that divide the dining area from the living room and the study act as filters that can be either open or closed and create various configurations of communicating spaces between them.
On the top floor, due to constraints arising from the condominium rules and building regulations, the exterior of the building could not be modified, while on the terrace floor there was the possibility of creating a greenhouse.
This new volume allows a better use of the terrace, creating a habitable portion used as a second living area and a gym.
The terrace also has a small counter-current swimming pool, a solarium area and an outdoor kitchen connected to the kitchen below with a dumbwaiter.
A large area of shades has also been designed, which are actual tensile structures that create shade on the terrace.
The veranda is fitted with 4.5 cm ultra-slim profiles designed ad hoc to provide maximum visual permeability between inside and outside, even the eaves and the system of blinds have been designed so that they impact as little as possible.
The tree species have been studied both as regards their size and height, as well as their harmony with the Mediterranean climate, and they guarantee privacy from the surrounding buildings.
On the other hand, the views towards the sea have been left open, as they are more evocative and scenic, so that every room has a view of the horizon.
Since Monte Carlo is a coastal town, the terrace is given a nautical theme through the use of a wooden floor, reminiscent of the deck of a boat.
