Fuori come un balcone, or a terrace inside
Transformation of an apartment, Torino 2004

A two-room apartment in a XVIII century building in the city center. The city center is dense, streets are narrow, buildings quite close to one another.
She has bought the apartment because she loves the beautifully decorated wooden ceilings and the monumental fireplace in the living room, but she misses the possibility to stay outdoor, as the rigorous facades of the building lack any terraces or balconies.

The scheme of the project is very simple: the living room is restored and left almost empty. All the other functions are condensed in the other room: the bathroom is enclosed in a little volume with a glass roof – to admire the ceiling from the bathtub – while the kitchen occupies another volume, on top of which the double bed is placed.
Another, entirely glazed volume is attached to the window, incorporating it. The window frame is removed, leaving a hole in the facade: here’s the terrace, indoor, hidden but completely open to the exterior.
It is hard to imagine the power of such a small transformation, it needs to be experienced directly: the simple removal of the frame of a window makes you feel totally outside, even if you are inside.