A few years ago, as part of our "10 Questions to..." series of mini conversations with architects, we asked Jan Sikora what - in three words - architecture is to him. "Context. Harmony. Story." - he replied [you can read the entire interview here]. See how the architect combined these three aspects in his latest interior design in Gdansk.
The two-story space offers an impressive view of the Gdansk skyline
photo: Tom Kurek
context
The interior in question is located on the neck of one of the townhouses on Granary Island. Thanks to large glazing, the two-story space offers an impressive view of the Motlawa River, the red roofs of Danzig tenements and the towers of Gothic churches. The architect treated the view like a work of art, dressing it in a wooden frame and creating conditions for admiring the landscape of the Old Town - he placed a comfortable couch opposite the window and a workspace on the first floor.
Living room on the first floor and workspace on the first floor
photo: Tom Kurek
However, the Kashubian context does not remain only behind the window - it can also be seen inside, but about that in a moment.
harmony
The interior of the apartment is spacious, coherent and full of harmony. With two levels, it is functionally divided like a typical single-family home - downstairs is the living area (kitchen, living room and small bathroom), and upstairs is the night area with a bedroom, dressing room and large bathroom separated only by a glass wall. The bedroom with the work area is connected by.... a bridge hanging over the living room.
The background of the space is light wood and subtle colors - warm shades of beige on one side and blue on the other.
Photo: Tom Kurek
Austerity of forms and colors balances the richness of textures and materials. The background of the space is light wood and subtle colors - warm shades of beige on one side and blue on the other. On the blue wall in the living room (even the radiator is painted the same color) ceramic vases are exposed. The effect achieved by the architects resembles a carefully selected collection of shells collected on the beach. On the opposite side, on the beige background of the wall, the designers placed an image resembling rough sea waves - a large-format decorative tile.
Decoration of opposite walls in the living room
Photo: Tom Kurek
story
It's time for the final element that ties the whole together - the story this interior tells. The owners of the apartment - a holiday apartment - are a Japanese-American couple. Thus, in creating the interior design, the architects drew inspiration from three different continents, combining their different traditions.
view from the dining room
photo: Tom Kurek
Looking for the right furniture and accessories, they looked into magazines in Poland, the United States, Japan and even Australia. All this in order to gather in one place exceptional examples of world design, without forgetting what is local. How did it work out?
view from the upper floor to the living room
photo: Tom Kurek
One of the answers is the real faces of boulders - large stones that we found from Kashubian craftsmen. It is this kind of element that binds together the traditions of Japanese and Gdansk homes, as it occurred in both cultures as a threshold inviting people into the interior, explains Jan Sikora, owner of the Sikora Wnętrza Architektura studio.
The raw, irregular stones in the living room are juxtaposed with the smooth, light-colored floor surface. The Japanese roots of the owners are also referred to in the japandi style that dominates the interior, which is meant to be a combination of functionality known from Scandinavian design with the minimalism and simplicity of Japanese spaces.
Floral patterns in the bathroom and kitchen
photo: Tom Kurek
A reminiscence of the Asian island can also be seen in a few patterns - flowers on the wall in the kitchen and upstairs bathroom or hanging lamps made of rice paper designed by Jaime Hayon.
Upper floor with bathroom and bedroom
photo: Tom Kurek
