Secret passageways tend to be associated with old Gothic mansions - behind a movable bookcase (you just have to pull the right book from the shelf) there is a door leading to a secret room.
Another association might be a French chateau from the 18th century, where the door merges with the wall, covered with identical ornaments and wallpaper. In the Gdynia apartment, it is smooth, light wood. Secret passageways are not truly secret, but the untrained eye may not notice the door in the wall, leading to the private area.
The main goal of {tag:Studio} was to create a modernist and, above all, functional apartment - the layout of the rooms was significantly modified and divided from the original state. The living area is separated from the bedroom area by a bathroom and storage space. Doors to individual rooms have been hidden in the walls - they slide in and out, allowing the space to be freely shaped.
Modernist apartment in Gdynia
photo: r-m studio
The designers broke the simple forms by "rounding" the bathroom wall - a shower was placed in the curve. The architects wanted to build a "clean", minimalist space in an era of rooms often "overloaded" with ornaments. It might have seemed that there would be little coziness in such a place. However, the wood wrapping the entire apartment offsets this impression. The space was intended to be multifunctional - to serve as a home office, a place for family spending time, and to provide privacy when the need arises.
The project was awarded 2nd prize in the "Apartment Minimum" competition as part of the 9th Architecture Weekend.
