Apartment of Perfect Brightness

Project Details

Project Description

Designed by asap/ adam sokol architecture practice pllc, the project features custom textiles by Dutch artist Claudy Jongstra and lighting design by Smith + Andersen.

The name of the project was adapted from that of a famous Beijing garden. The idea of “perfect brightness” was explored architecturally: beginning with research into the psychological effects of different qualities and colors of daylight, a system was developed whereby ambient lighting could change from warm to cool white, depending on the season, time of day, and outdoor lighting conditions. The light is “concentrated” at the center of three twisting, shell-shaped feature walls, drawing visitors in from the entry, providing a special dramatic accent in the daughter's bedroom, and culminating in a unique and dramatic spa bathroom.

Further, working from the owner’s second preference — to eliminate clutter and create a suitable environment to display an art collection — it was decided that all interior walls would be clad in folding wood doors, 132 in total, that would essentially make them all transformable: when open, bookshelves, storage areas, televisions and headboards would be revealed; when closed, all would be concealed, leaving only a simple space forming a serene, museum-like backdrop for the artworks. The interior surfaces concealed beneath the folding doors contrast with their stark simplicity by revealing personal objects, collectibles, and toys, as well as richly colored fabrics, highlighted by the custom-commissioned master bedroom headboard by Dutch textile artist Claudy Jongstra.