A converted SoHo loft, measuring 929.00 sqm in three floors, is adapted for the private residence of a young hedge fund manager. The fourth and fifth floor are designed to act as a quiet refuge from the chaotic workload and frequent overseas travel, as well as to provide and elegant space for the entertaining and private realm of a young family. The third floor is designed to accommodate visiting family and guests. In this manner, the architectural intervention enables the loft to transform from a quiet retreat, into a welcoming social surrounding, that reflects the excitement of its SoHo context.
The design of the loft explores the modernist use of plane/volume and opaque/transparent, with the interplay of different materials. The strategy adopted, is that of a contemporary architectural intervention within a pre-existing envelope. Movements, spaces and volumes occur to fulfill various functional requirements through the architectural manipulation of materials, details and finishes. Two equal halves performing public and private functions are employed throughout horizontally and vertically. The public fifth floor rests upon the private fourth floor, and the third floor's public front versus the private rear. The public functions are delineated by the interplay of planes: the walls and floors, while the private functions are defined by volumes encased by intersecting solid walls. The solid cherry wall and two story high bookcase and the delicate staircase enclosing these private functions, are punctured by high windows and pre-existing skylights, allowing light to penetrate while preserving a sense of serene calmness.
