Alan Prekop Studio turns disused office into apartment for artists

Slovakian architecture firm Alan Prekop Studio turned this former office in Bratislava into a flexible apartment by adding a space-saving custom-built steel structure.

The apartment was designed as an artist's residency and is in a former office space on the sixth floor of the city's iconic Kotva House, which was built in 1930 to house an insurance company.

Around one third of the main space is taken up by a steel frame, custom designed and built by Alan Prekop Studio, which helps to organise the space.

A walk-in storage area with rails and shelves sits beneath the steel structure and is separated from the rest of the room by transparent plastic strip curtains.

The steel platform also has a sleeping area with a double mattress on top, which is accessed via a ladder made up of steel tubing.

The steel components are broken up by hot pink-coloured connectors, which were 3D printed by the studio in order to provide enhanced structural security to the overall frame and add splashes of colour.

"The client wanted to have something pink, so we decided to accent these small details with bright pink colour," studio founder and designer Alan Prekop told Dezeen.

"They are so important for the whole construction, so we wanted them to stand out!"

In the middle of the room, next to the stainless-steel structure, the studio created a versatile, stage-like volume constructed from stainless steel plates and spruce timber with padded upholstery.

It consists of six individual tiltable segments that can be adjusted as needed, turning it from a flat guest bed into lounge seating when required.

Wooden benches and more steel shelves sit at the far end of the day zone. The room also features two bright blue wall-mounted radiators flanking the window, which join the pink connectors in providing pops of bold colour.

Restored parquet flooring was used throughout the space, creating contrast with the contemporary elements and the concrete vaulted ceiling.

Alan Prekop Studio also focused on saving space in the entrance hall, which doubles as a kitchen and features stainless-steel shelving as a nod to the main space.

Recycled plastic terrazzo forms the kitchen units and worktop and covers the floors before continuing into the bathroom, where it was used to create the shower enclosure and pedestal sink.

Glass blocks line the back wall of the shower, with six blue blocks in the centre adding colour to a greyscale design scheme. The interior's neutral and utilitarian design was created to make it suitable for its purpose as a space for local artists.

"It was supposed to be a flat for a young couple, but after the political situation shifted in Slovakia, they decided to stay abroad," Prekop said.

"Therefore, we have decided with clients that it will become an artist residency to help culture and young artists in Slovakia."

Architect Alan Prekop founded his eponymous design studio in 2020, which completes a variety of projects from interior schemes and installations to bespoke furniture and artist collaborations.

Other Slovakia-based adaptive reuse projects on Dezeen include a former mill converted into a contemporary home by RDTH Architekti and a mixed-use venue within a former heating plant by DF Creative Group.

The photography is by Nora Saparova.

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