René Desjardins has designed a luxurious penthouse in downtown Montreal, Canada. It was ordered by a client with an apartment with panoramic view of the city. The view would become the focus of the project.
Since the building was still under construction, anything was possible. The space consisted of a large 3,300 sq. ft. unit assembled from two penthouses on the 23rd floor. As a point of departure, space intended for a corridor to one of the penthouses could now be used to house the mechanical and electrical systems. This meant that the apartment could take the form of a great pure rectangle spanning across the full length of the building, with full-height windows on the North, East and West sides that would provide exceptional natural light.
Detailed work began on the interior envelope, playing with different coatings and colours for the volumes, using whites and shades of grey and brown to create a pared-down, warm environment. The very high ceilings were lowered slightly to accommodate lighting fixtures and conceal the electrical controls for the window coverings.
Through its clean design, a range of natural hues and many architectural details, the apartment is a great success. Surrounded by the sky and the ceaselessly changing light from the city beyond, one has the impression of being in a great airborne vessel that provides passengers with all the warmth of a home, yet the freedom of expansive views.
