Project Burma Hospital by a+r Architekten

PLEASURE

By removing clutter, furniture and even walls, ALAN PREKOP’s minimalist FLAT IO gives its owner a peace of mind

BRATISLAVA — For enthusiastic adopters, minimalism – letting go of unnecessary possessions and simplifying one’s life – is a sure path to a stress-free, happy existence. Reworking an old, somewhat poky flat in the oldest purpose-built housing estate in the Slovak capital, architect Alan Prekop decided that what the space needed was a radical minimalist makeover. Prekop has thoroughly decluttered the flat, removing most dividing walls and abolishing the dark internal corridors, allowing the space to be replanned according to the occupier’s desire for simplicity. Only a single load-bearing column (the ‘I’), located in the centre of the flat, stayed. A generous kitchen is divided from the living space by a wall featuring a large, circular opening lined with stainless steel (the ‘O’). While the concrete ceilings and beams are exposed, the perimeter walls have a fresh layer of plaster and white tiles cover the lower part of the wall. The bedroom is accessed using glass doors, with a curtain giving additional privacy and open shelves highlighting the owner’s preference for mindful, clean living. The restrained minimalism of the interior is not just skin deep; much of the material used in the renovation originates from building waste generated elsewhere in the city.

The ‘O’: a large circular opening lined with stainless steel creates an open division between the kitchen and living space.

ATELIER CARACASdesigned FUN MAZE! and 2020: A SPA ODYSSEY both share a surrealist streak

CARACAS — Despite two very different briefs, Atelier Caracas takes the same surrealist approach for these two spaces in the Venezuelan capital, the waiting room of a multidisciplinary therapy centre for children and a day spa. In both instances, the aim is to subvert the everyday and put people at ease, be they patients and their parents or spa-goers. At the Fun Maze!, the architects have created a colourful, haptic space to facilitate educational therapy for children on the spectrum. A corridor, defined by curving, roughly plastered turquoise walls, leads to treatment rooms on either side. A linear skylight running the length of the building floods the space with natural light, while domed porthole windows – at children’s eye-level – offer views through the clinic and glimpses of the large potted plants that are dotted across the space. Playful nooks and crannies along the corridor can be used to hide toys, fostering a sense of discovery throughout. At 2020: A Spa Odyssey, the architects were inspired by the surreal visuals in the classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. They have integrated some of the film’s unmistakable sci-fi stylings, such as round window openings and rounded corners on the partitions that separate the individual treatment rooms, high gloss floors and even a meteoroid supporting the reception desk. Once again, large houseplants make an appearance, domesticating the space and helping reinforce the illusion of the spa as a ‘pleasant, hermetic bubble’.

Saúl Yuncoxar Domed porthole windows at children’s eye level offer views throughout the clinic.