Apartment 55 Home & Studio in Beijing, China by Atelier About Architecture.

Beijing-based Atelier About Architecture has completed renovations of Apartment 55, named so because the artist who lives and works there derives special meaning from the number. Located on the top floor of a five-storey building, it was important that the artist retained an absolute sense of privacy within his studios, whilst making room for a courtyard, work and exhibition spaces.

The architects rearranged the original horizontal and vertical circulation of the space, beginning at the main entrance and moving inward to the public reception and exhibition rooms, before transitioning to semi-public and private living and studio rooms. Sliding doors enhance a sense of transition from one space to the next.

Full height steel-framed windows open up the original concrete walls, allowing natural light from the central courtyard to penetrate. In order to increase a sense of cocooned privacy, the new glass wall matches the 5.6m elevation of the inner courtyard, meaning there are no windows at eye level with the public reception area on the first floor. This transforms the entire courtyard into a continuous open-air exhibition space. A staircase leading to the large studio on the second floor is hidden behind the facade as a transitional space.

The architects designed careful integrations of colour, material and light in order to conjure atmosphere and emotion throughout the various functions of the space. An expanse of nano-concrete comprises the floor and walls of the first-floor reception area, its granular, hand-polished surface contrasting the texture and gloss of warm timber panels illuminated by abundant natural light.

In the stairway leading from the first to the second floor, both walls and timber floors are the same shade of light grey, creating a less bright, more secluded atmosphere prior to entering the private work zone. Nano-concrete floors and stark white walls encompass the entire second floor, creating a serene and clear aesthetic conducive to productivity. A third-floor terrace overlooks the studio and courtyard, with light diffused from the glass facades.

[Images courtesy of Atelier About Architecture. Photography by Sun Haiting.]