The Brutalist Residence Club, as it is known, is a very iconic building for the city of Udine. With its overhanging balconies and vertical gardens, it was really futuristic for its time.
As is typical of our approach, the interior design was driven by the building itself, the materials and colours used by the original architect, Massimo Camillo Bodini,were referenced. So, the soft shell-like pink of the communal stairwell is echoed in one wall of the apartment’s open-plan living room, which acted as a starting point for both the custom-made, two-tone kitchen and the warm palette of peach, orange and terracotta throughout.
The Studio's signature sign, mixing different shades and textures, always come at the beginning of a project, it’s not something decorative that’s added at the end. Touches of black reference the internal doors, which were kept original, in their burgundy color with a black matte wood frame. Glossy teal-coloured, hand-glazed tiles in the bathrooms were as well retained. The previously carpeted floor is now travertine marble, echoing the terrace outside, focus on the link between interior and exterior, pointing out the large sliding windows that run along one side of the apartment as another connection with the leafy outdoor space and urban landscape beyond.
Inside, clean lines and curving shapes can be seen in the mix of contemporary furniture (such as Cristina’s ‘Gala’ sofa for Saba), vintage rattan pieces and Italian classics from the 1970s and 80s. The client’s request for a functional home comes to life in thoughtful details such as the raised dining area, which is made partially private by a bespoke piece of furniture that doubles up as a planter. Yet this multifaceted interior goes far beyond the practical. By taking cues from the past, the space feels inextricably connected to the building, yet thoroughly modern and elegant too. From the entrance, which is part of the existing architecture, you can see all the different layers: the colours, furniture and materials. It captures the romantic mood of the apartment immediately.
