Dezeen Magazine

Atelier 37.2 installs sculptural wooden bathroom inside Haussmann-era apartment

Paris studio Atelier 37.2 has added a multifaceted wooden volume to an apartment in the French capital to house two shower rooms.

Enter the diamond by atelier 37.2

The addition was part of a full renovation of the single-storey Haussmann-era apartment. Atelier 37.2 wanted to create a new sculptural volume visible from the kitchen, living space and three bedrooms.

Enter the diamond by atelier 37.2

"By creating this tiny singular space within the wider space of the apartment, we play with density variations," the team said.

"Beyond its function, this installation is a form of aesthetic enigma, somehow like a window facing unlikely landscapes."

Enter the diamond by atelier 37.2

Constructed of birch wood, the three-metre-high volume is made up of multiple facets, creating a diamond-shaped volume with a pointed top – the inspiration for the project name Enter The Diamond.

The sharp linear edges of the structure contrast with ornate ceiling mouldings and white-painted walls.

Enter the diamond by atelier 37.2

Minimal materials and a stripped-back colour palette feature throughout the rest of the apartment, including herringbone flooring, white-painted doors, and dark-toned furniture and window frames.

Enter the diamond by atelier 37.2

The single-storey property dates back to Baron Haussmann's reorganisation of Paris during the second half of the 19th century, when all structures were designed under height restrictions and constructed from the same cream-coloured stone.

Enter the diamond by atelier 37.2

Other recently-updated buildings from this era include Dior Homme's new offices by Antonio Virga Architecte, and an apartment with multicoloured flooring and space-saving stairs.

Enter the diamond by atelier 37.2

"This sculpture fits perfectly with the minimalism of the place, though it contrasts fiercely with the moulding and the Haussmann Classicism," said the architects.

"This tension generates a fictional potential that plays with the imagination of the inhabitants."

Enter the diamond by atelier 37.2

Atelier 37.2 was founded in 2009 by Italian architect Francesca Bonesio and French photographer Nicolas Guiraud.