The approach of Francesco Pierazzi Architects for the renovation project of the Maisonette in Notting Hill is phenomenological in the sense understood by the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, which emphasizes the role played by perception in understanding the world, as well as the connection with it: the body, rather than the mind, is the primary means of knowing the world
Restyling of a Maisonette in Notting Hill. Design for a physical experience of space
The renovation of the Maisonette in Notting Hill, London, aims to utilize the attic to create additional living space and to improve the overall outdated interiors through an interesting phenomenological approach and the creation of spaces as dynamic experiences
The phenomenological strategy engages the bodies of the users in negotiating with various, sometimes intentionally contrasting, spaces. In the design for the Maisonette, everyday movements around the house generate a choreography that transforms static spaces into a dynamic experience. In the reconfiguration of the intermediate floor, the project aims to reduce circulation space in favor of larger bedrooms and amenities
The brick shell of the house is treated as an empty volume, while the staircase, designed as a subordinate space within a primary volume, is clad in birch plywood. The materials for the floors, which are gray and jointless, and the vertical surfaces, which are decorated in white, are minimized to enhance the natural property of wood in its phenomenological role
To create an interesting environment across the three floors of the building, despite the unified mood board, various contrasting and juxtaposed finishes have been employed, generating aesthetic tensions between precious, semi-precious, and ordinary materials: one encounters vinyl tiles contrasting with whitewashed bricks and birch plywood panels juxtaposed with cast-iron radiators and precious marbles
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