In love with Curves

Led by Benmoussa Omar, Studio BO designed the interiors of a 335 m² penthouse located in the old colonial center of Casablanca, with a 360° view of the city.

Due to a low stand beam, the design team decided to curve every obstacle of the apartment to have this kind of spider web Dhung and engulfed the space. The plan was conceived as an ergonomic and scenographic movement. As soon as you enter the front door, there is an antechamber that acts as a roundabout because from this room you can access all the individual rooms: the sleeping part, the living area, the kitchen, the toilet and the stairs for the rooftop. On the left we find the kitchen where the contrast between white and black acts a leading role. The entire kitchen furniture is black, but it is neither tiring nor boring as an entire wall has been covered with black local beldi zellig, a kind of traditional glazed terracotta tiles, laid in a contemporary way in colors of character. This room is well lit thanks to a huge window with a view on the old harbor and the Hassan II mosque and, depending on the time of day, a play of lights is created on the tiled wall and kitchen worktop. A sort of bench has also been placed with a travertine top (the same that covers most of the floor of the house) that overlooks the dining area. The design is accompanied by the stylish lighting.

The entire living area is marked by curves that avoid the drastic corners and edges that would bring rigidity to the environment. They are present everywhere: from curved suspended ceilings with the attached lighting, to arches, to mobile details etc. The dining area consists of a table accompanied by black dining chairs with a sculptural structure to say the least: rather than being simple pieces of furniture, they are works of art! The black bespoke bookcase made up of two pieces rewinds a large window with black fixtures; all together it seems to see a single piece. Continuing, a white sofa without armrests gives a further softness to the ambiance; in addition, it has been positioned next to a built-in fireplace. The living room overlooks the terrace that was repaired and conserved, and enjoys the view on the biggest public park of the city and the splendid Church of the Sacred Heart. Between the kitchen balcony and the corridor (leading to two bedrooms) the bar and vine cellar has been incorporated. The design is completed by some paintings with blue, red and ochre accents.

On the opposite side of the living area, you enter the master suite by first crossing the walk-in closet. The room is simple, white in color and is flooded with natural light that passes through French windows which lead to the second terrace of the apartment. Without any architectural obstacles, the master bathroom is marked only by the color: the entire room was covered with an emerald green Moroccan zellig beldi from Fez. The ceiling was also painted in this color to further delimit the boundary between the two ambiances. But to avoid the sharp contrast, some elements have been included such as the freestanding bathtub and a shelf embedded in the wall above the keyboard of the bed, both in black; or as well as paintings in the bedroom that have shades of green. The bathroom also includes two classically styled washbasins, a folding shower and the toilet room which is located behind an added door (like all the new doors in this project, it is designed in metal and different types of reinforced glass).

Since one of the main design challenge was to deal with the old colonial architecture without distorting it, the rooftop stairs have been given a new life, in black color. Next to them, we find the service bathroom which has been covered with blue tiles. The rooftop is an essential part of the penthouse, the desired atmosphere is that of an ocean liner deck with these distant views, from or boat porthole as a door. The rooftop is coated with local cement tiles in English green. It’s equipped with a bar, storage space, seating and outdoor toilet, and it works as an independent space. To note, a pair of pastel pink lounge chairs were also placed to give a delicate touch.

Photography by Alessio Mei