Along the bustling city streets of Bucharest, Romania, a number of different homes and dwellings in various architectural styles can be found, depending on the neighbourhood. Along Occidentului Street, which is fairly typical for the city, one might see a combination of villas, post-war structures, or wagon-houses that have stood for many years.
Recently, some local designers aimed to build a new apartment building but, rather than letting it stick out and attract attention, they used shocking precision to help it blend in perfectly with the more traditional buildings around it! To the trained eye it might look a little more contemporary and have a bit less wear and tear, but overall it suits the street shockingly well.
The apartment building at Occidentului 40 was created by ADNBA using a technique that helped them compose the facade and its interior apartments from blocks, as thought they’ve been stacked. Rather than solely taking into consideration how their own finished product will look, the design team decided to account for the context around their project as well.
By this, we mean that they attempted to make their new building blend and mesh with the rest of the street, looking similarly to the buildings that are already there so that it doesn’t interrupt the flow and fabric of the space it was freshly built in. The level of detail that went into this goal, right down to the colour scheme, is very impressive indeed.
On the inside, the apartments are calm, wooden, and comfortable with all kinds of amenities typical of a modern, updated rental space. The goal wasn’t to actually create a home that seemed old or outdated in its practicality, but rather simply to match the aesthetic and style of the building faces in the local area in a way that is smooth and cohesive.
Photos by Laurian Ghinitoiu
