The interior architecture of the spaces located in historical areas enables the space for creating a dialogue between the original architecture and contemporary everyday life. In interior project 23 in New Belgrade, we approached the apartment space by understanding and then facilitating its original structure for new users.

Keeping in mind the architectural value of the building, we approached the transfiguration of space into a contemporary moment, by building on the ideas of the architects of the entire structure. As a response to a new way of living, we decided to create an airy oasis with bright strokes and diffuse light within a recognizable concrete building. The central motif of the project is an open diagonal view which connects the entire living area – the living room with the loggia, and the dining room with the terrace – adding a new direction to the original orthogonal structure of the apartment.

By removing window sills and adding windows and glass openings of striking depth, the very concept of openness and airiness takes on a new dimension in our project. This concept was further implemented with the introduction of roller blinds and recessed lighting, which allow the light throughout the apartment to become diffuse, creating a calm and bright ambience.

The visual connection of space and the soothing tone of the interior are achieved with low built-in elements and furniture that emphasize the calm flow of ambience on a horizontal level and emphasize the low centre of gravity that additionally affects the harmonious impression in the space. By intertwining wooden – rustic and natural elements, with tempered glass – a contemporary material, connected by white surfaces interwoven between them, the inherited symbols of the home are enhanced and shaped by elements of a completely contemporary design.

Playing with the original structure of the apartment and erasing the boundaries between the original state and the new architecture is particularly noticeable in the creation of an entry zone, which directs movement and views towards the diagonally dispersed spaces of the day zone. The design of the entry is further accented with an unexpected element - the pillar that seems to levitate – further emphasizing the lightness and open flow of the interior. In addition to the construction of the entrance zone, which builds on the directions of the inherited orthogonal structural grid, the change in the structure is seen in the addition of the partition wall between the living room and the bedroom, in place of the former accordion-doors. This change retains the possibility of a subsequent change of structure but also enables the adjustable privacy requirements of the needs of modern tenants.