a Palazzina in Edinburgh

“… for us, the void is that place where architecture draws space, where one can stay and dwell; emptiness is the centre where life begins, where man exists. … ”

Manuel & Francisco Aires Mateus

The project was born from the study of the concept of space as an environment for interaction between people: the first approach was to think of the internal distribution of the building not only as a functional environment but as a place of life and sharing.

The shape of the building arises from the study of a central connecting space between the individual apartments that revolve around the distribution system and this allow them to use the entire footprint of the building.

This approach allows for a series of different relationships between the living spaces both with the external spaces of the city and with those of the central distribution core.

The concept of emptiness in this case expresses the development potential of a space generically considered accessory which now becomes the true hub of everyday life.

The theme of light is fundamental to provide each individual room with its own particular singularity: the large staircase that winds through the heart of the building enjoys the zenithal light which reverberates from the central distribution core.