Kaufman Penthouse

London

The client, a painter, wanted to create an apartment on the top floor of a 19th-century industrial building in North London. The central section of the space was

double-height with the potential to give access to a large roof terrace. The client's main priority was to retain and enhance the sense of space and light characterised by the original shell space, and this was achieved by retaining it as one volume with a staircase and sleeping gallery inserted at the upper level.

The main area was defined by three free-standing elements, a stainless steel kitchen and two translucent glass drums. One of these drums contains a shower and the other a WC and basin. If the doors of the drums are left in their open position they can be used to form a conventional bathroom. Both drums are naturally lit during the day through translucent glass rooflights and at night the lit drums themselves provide the main light source for the space.

Both sides of the main space are lined with storage walls which, in addition to providing all the storage requirements, also incorporate the services, a fold-down double bed for visitors and a second, more private, WC.