The Belgian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai (AE)

Blue Copper Loft is an explorative private residence transformed into an ‘urban sanctum‘ by Dubai and London practice ANARCHITECT for a modern-nomadic client. Located in the heart of metropolitan Dubai and set over two floors, this once three-bedroom penthouse has been creatively reimagined into a flowing duplex loft with an open gallery bedroom. The bold project brief set by the clients is what attracted the architects to the project, affirms Founding Principal Jonathan Ashmore. ‘’The clients’ love of travel and experience of unique properties and places around the world lead them to want to live boundless, without the restriction of enclosed rooms in their own home’’. The brief inspired the practice to focus on the volume of the entire space as one, taking the property back to its shell and then to disseminate and define each subsequent new space through a rigorous design exploration. A curated palette of natural and hand-crafted materials with refined junctions and interface details were designed to express each threshold of the new layouts’ spatial transition. Without the configuration of traditional rooms to contend, circulation space and stairs inherently become extensions of the functional spaces. The design approach to planning the property had to understand the subconscious thinking and semiotics to carefully articulate routes woven through adjoining spaces, so that they would feel like natural thoroughfares to orientate freely and easily around the property without the help of a traditional framework of corridors and doorways. “The existing staircase stood dominant in the main living-dining room, overpowering the double-height space and never letting you truly relax with its strong presence” says Ashmore. “The large corner windows also felt too prominent in the space with too much hard surface, particularly as the narrative conceived for the project was one of ‘retreat’ and ‘escape’ for the client’s home between their travels.’’ ANARCHITECT’s solution was to reverse the position of access for the staircase and to include a new landing position that would allow the main body of the stair structure to be hidden from view from the living space behind a patina-copper feature wall. The staircase ascent then became a journey of light and shadow between a light-absorbing charcoal clay finished wall and the soft reflections of the blue copper natural surface. At the summit of the steps, the staircase transforms into an arresting pedestal structure with a monolithic cement finish, making way for the patinated copper and stained timber bridge connecting the upper gallery. As an avant-garde architectural statement, this sculptural insertion anchors the voluminous living space with the horizontal datum of the upper floor gallery. Completely clad in a turquoise natural copper patina, this elemental form creates the art backdrop to the dining area, shear wall to the staircase and keystone to the cantilevered bridge and frameless glass balustrade above. ‘’At first the staircase and feature wall may appear indulgent, but for us this is a pivotal point, crux for the entire reconfiguration of the residence’’ says Associate Tom Herd. ‘‘The natural materials, textured finishes and raw fabrics throughout the loft are deep and rich in tones that absorb the abundant light from the large double-height windows to soften the spatial conditions and create the sanctum. The natural turquoise patina of the copper contrasts this; as its tone subtlety transforms from poised to tempered through the day, as natural light falls upon it.’’ A bespoke kitchen custom designed by ANARCHITECT in leathered stone and burnished stainless-steel sits below the gallery overhang and socially engages the living space. Leading outside is an east-facing terrace populated with greenery to filter morning light and balance the urbanity of the city skyline. Off from the dining area a charred-oak pocket door reveals the darkened TV room with room-size iconic sofa-system for complete cosiness and immersive indulgence in contrast to the brighter living spaces. The gallery floor spans the entire length of the property and accommodates the home-office and the master suite with hers and his walk-in wardrobes and dressing area. The bedroom area is setback from the double-height volume with the sultry dark-stone ensuite hidden behind the bed; a room sized walk-in shower with double rain-shower, petrified wood and glass basin, naturally daylit from a second, heavily planted east facing terrace. Blue Copper Loft challenges the attributes of traditional urban luxury-living and in turn draws upon a present interpretation of elevated lifestyle that values the freedom of space, abundant yet controlled natural daylight, sense of privacy and sanctuary, all achieved through timeless natural materials, edited collectibles and authenticity.