the copper frame

A beautiful, distinguished apartment building erected in Oslo in 1923 has classic details and a refined colour palette, and apartments a tad compact for family life. But it also has an undeveloped attic, and the residents of two top floor apartments saw the possibilities.

The underlying apartments has basically the same plan, and the requirements for the loft were also more or less concurrent. We decided to base the expansion upon the same principle for both, with some minor differences. As the original building has a distinct character we wanted to be careful about the elements to add, they would have to subordinate to the building’s formal language and play together with existing colour and materiality, but still add a subtle value of its own.

The façade towards the street is fitted with just a few skylight windows, nothing to steal the thunder from the existing elements. The garden side has more room for play. The yard is surrounded by different buildings all with their own take on loft development, so the rules are lighter, but we still want to let our original building play the leading part. The main added element on this side of the roof is therefore a subtle and clean box, walls and top in the shape of ribs of natural weathered copper. The smooth and patinated surface of the copper will act as a soft contrast of texture to the roughly plastered brick walls, but still within a material palette of natural tones. The ribbed box is fitted with a glass front, the window frame hidden by the front panel to create the impression of total transparency, the illusion broken only by the emphasized frame of the ventilation window, echoing the pattern of windows in the façade of the floors below.

The two different apartments are more or less similar in layout and building details, but the chosen colours and materials gives each of them a distinct character. Both the apartments already have all primary functions on their lower floor, the loft is an expansion that also allows them to cater for the expanding family’s needs with an additional bedroom and bathroom, an open living space, plus the added bonus of a play room and guest nook on the mezzanine above the bathroom.

The connection between the lower floor and the loft is formed by a showstopper staircase, hanging from the loft floor by slender trellis, the transparency of the construction allowing light to pass through between the rooms and the floors, while still providing the necessary division and privacy to the connected zones.

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 The white loft, presented here, has a compact surface area, but finds room for all the functions mentioned on the loft level while still feeling spacious and open. This is due partly to the choice of light colours and attention to details, especially by the owners themselves, who have made conscious decisions on everything from materials to light fittings. But an important factor is also the large dormer that is the copper box, clad on the inside with light wooden veneer and with an entire glass wall in front. In addition to literally opening a window to the lush back yard garden, the space created within the dormer also makes for a private and quiet nook, perfect for reading, listening to music, or just gazing out over the Oslo roofscape.

Check out the twin loft here