Montorgueil by Atelier PA
This project involves the transformation of an old caretaker’s lodge in Paris. Located on the ground floor of a building in the 2nd arrondissement, the apartment is designed to serve as a suite for visiting friends and travelers. To maximize light and privacy, a mezzanine was added and a wooden screen surrounds the double-height space. Atelier PA used a limited, cohesive material palette to enhance the aesthetics and functionality of the space.
Cohesive Material Palette Throughout
This project involves the transformation of an old caretaker’s lodge in Paris. Owning an apartment in the same building, our client wanted to accommodate visiting friends, but also offer this space for rent to travelers wishing to visit Paris and stay there for a few days.
We therefore imagined this project as a suite. Guests can stay there independently, sleeping, cooking, and working if necessary. Located on the ground floor of a building in the 2nd arrondissement, we began the project by completely deconstructing the space, restoring its original volume, whose main asset was its high ceilings.
First, we proposed the installation of a mezzanine, providing an additional level to this space. Its positioning allows for a distance from the courtyard facade, allowing the large windows to bring in maximum natural light, which was previously lacking. Structured in this way, the apartment offers a double-height space in its center and a single-height space around its periphery.
Offering Privacy And Ample Storage
To ensure privacy for the upstairs bedrooms, the double-height space is surrounded by a wooden screen, filtering light and privacy. Thus materialized, the double-height space appears to stretch out. To continue, we created a “servant volume.” This volume faces the entrance. It houses the staircase, a generous shower, a toilet, and a laundry room hidden beneath the stairs.
Hollowed out at its end, the staircase fits like a sculpted object. Opposite, a skylight, lined with a glass door, lets light in, directly above a mirror, concealing storage. This arrangement enhances the sense of depth and brightness of this nook.
Independent Custom Joinery Elements
Finally, custom joinery elements were designed: cabinet, kitchen, vanity, staircase, headboard, and dressing room. Distributed throughout the space like independent objects, they lend coherence to the whole.
The range of materials used is limited and sober. A beige concrete coating covers the floor. A matching paint color covers all the walls and ceilings. This unity allows us to reflect as much of the light entering the studio as possible. The light wood structure and the parquet flooring upstairs, left exposed, also contribute to the aesthetics of the space.
In contrast, Birch Plywood is used for the beauty of its pattern and its technical characteristics. Here, stained, it stands out from the other materials, revealing the carpentry work. It is paired with lacquered steel used for the kitchen countertop, the sink, and the staircase.
Theatrical Aspect For A Monolithic Block
A bronze, brushed aluminum coating adorns the serving block. This metallic texture gives it the appearance of a precious, monolithic block. The final element is the large light curtains placed in front of the windows, which allow them to disappear, giving a theatrical aspect to this small space.
Photography by Carole Martinod
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