Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation
Monumental warehouse, Amsterdam
Interior
“Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation” started with a special conversation with the client who asked us if we could create a space where luxury dynamic city life could take place on just 57m2.
Eating together had to be central to this, with the space stimulating beautiful conversations.
All of the client’s wishes were translated into a plan that focused on the use of the space. During the design process, we thought about what emotions fit the use in order to bring an extra layer to the architecture.
On the grid of the monumental beams we designed wooden “blocks” that are programmed both on the inside and on the outside, this way there is always something to discover and traffic space gets a double function. The blocks serve all adjacent spaces of its functions and are connected with ingenious vistas.
Working closely with art and craftspeople, the project was renamed an architect’s lab for four years in which we were able to mold everything to the client’s wishes. With this, the project became a “Gesamtkunstwerk” in which everything was designed and developed in our lab.
The 57m² home, located on the second floor, upon entering, begins with you entering a wooden “umbilical cord” like staircase. The staircase is made from a single tree trunk so that the steps of different cuts of the trunk, (quarter-timber, half-quarter-timber and boxwood), are presented as a runner under your feet.
Walls, which can be pulled out of the central block can separate spaces from each other but also connect them, thus making a “salon-dining arrangement” a snap. Once the walls are pushed into the block, an open floor plan is created – the loft
The materials chosen for this project continue their original properties in the design.
Wood grains from selected oak trees run through the cabinet fronts and the veins of marble form a tree in the corner of the bathroom to enhance the depth of the space.
Cutting boards can be pushed out of the kitchen counter, shaving utensils are in a custom-made drawer. In the wardrobe, a cabinet was specially designed for gloves and adjustable hat rests in 1920s Bauhaus style.
Apartment, home restaurant
57m²
Jurrit van der Waal
Phase-02 2024
Private
Van Bergen Architectura
J. Hendriks Meubelmaker
Anton de Gruyl
Huiser & de Witt
Ferry Griekspoor
Tetterode
C.M van Bergen