G4 Apartment Saint-Pétersbourg, Russia

 G4 Apartment

Saint-Pétersbourg, Russia

One of the most important principles that DA bureau embraces when working on projects is to achieve maximum expressiveness with a minimum of means. This was especially important when working on their own project: a small apartment where the founders of the firm, Anya and Borya, live.

They bought a small studio apartment in the historic center of Saint Petersburg, with an area of only 38 m2, which had been empty for many years. Despite plaster falling and broken windows, they decided to turn the apartment into a compact living space, and a place where the doors are always open to friends.

The first thing they did was clear the walls and ceilings of dilapidated plaster, as well as replace all utilities, and reinforce some openings where the construction was flawed. The apartment's central configuration is unique – windows on three sides and access to a small balcony. But the most unusual remnant is a historic ceiling light lantern, measuring almost 3x3 meters.

Lots of work was invested in restoring the lantern, strengthening the structure, and replacing the sealed double-glazed unit.

Once the walls and ceilings were cleared, the harsh brick walls and concrete overlap were revealed. The decision was made to leave them open and exactly as they were, with rough seams, construction inscriptions, and metal fragments. That being said, they wanted to make the main space clean, concise, and minimalistic.

Photo credit: Dmitrii Tsyrenshchikov

For more information

 da-bureau.com/