Case study, Mar Plus Ask – Safari Chair

Mar Vicens and Ask Anker Aistrup blend influences from their Scandinavian and Mediterranean heritages to create contemporary interiors rich in character.

Glogauer Straße

CASE STUDY - SAFARI CHAIR

By Mar Plus Ask – Berlin

Photos: Piet-Albers Goethals Mar Vicens and Ask Anker Aistrup were on the hunt for a property that could serve both as their home and an office space when they came across a former supermarket on the ground floor of a 19th-century apartment block. The creative duo – whose architectural practice, Mar Plus Ask, specialises in clean, contemporary spaces – wanted to create an oasis of calm in Berlin’s vibrant Kreuzberg district. Despite the space’s printed tile decor and small PVC windows, they decided it was an ideal purchase upon discovering a hidden 4-metre-high ceiling.

After a complete refurbishment, Glogauer Straße was born – a tranquil space that creates a sense of unity with high ceilings, polished concrete flooring, and softly colored stuccoed walls throughout. Using this monochromatic aesthetic as a base, each room was then given its own identity. “However simple the place is in plan and in form, we sought to create rich, warm, textured spaces that allow the furniture and the framed views of the garden to play a central role” says Aistrup.

In the living area, the former windows were replaced with huge paneled oak windows from Denmark while the kitchen features a sculptural concrete island with a terrazzo-like texture that was crafted on-site. In the living room, a few choice pieces of furniture were chosen – including a pair of vintage Safari Chairs by Kaare Klint that Aistrup inherited from his father. Recently updated with new canvas backs, the chairs’ sophisticated craftsmanship and use of natural materials add an elegant texture to the room. As Aistrup explains of their design ethos: “We reduced the noise and clutter to allow materiality to come forward.”