Toamnei 48 is the project in which PPAE moved to the other side of the table: not only designer, but also developer. After years of residential design for other investors, the office wanted to put its experience to the test in a development of its own — a proof of concept. It chose one of the most difficult situations possible: a small and complicated plot, on Toamnei St., in the heart of a protected area with strong interwar charm. The result: a building of 5 luxury apartments, naturally integrated into the context through a contemporary reinterpretation of the Art Deco style.

Challenges

Two themes, both difficult. The context: a protected built area, with valuable interwar architecture, where any new building must integrate with great care — without pastiche, but also without breaking the atmosphere of the place. The land: a small and constraining plot, on which a quality building had to be organised, with generous apartments and parking, respecting the regime and setbacks imposed in a sensitive area.

Solutions

The answer was a contemporary reinterpretation of Art Deco — the style par excellence of interwar Bucharest. The building takes on the spirit of the neighbourhood (proportions, elegant verticality, the elegance of detail) and translates it into a current language, so that it sits naturally next to the period architecture without copying it. On the small plot, the layout was calibrated for just 5 luxury apartments — a reduced density, in keeping with the area and the targeted premium segment.

Result

For PPAE, the proof of concept worked: a development of its own, carried from land to completed building, which demonstrates in practice the experience accumulated in residential design. For the area, a new building that respects and continues the interwar character, instead of contradicting it — an example of successful integration into a protected context.

Do you have a difficult plot in a protected area, where integration into the context is essential? The PPAE team can support your project from concept to completion. Contact us