Aleksandri St. apartment building / Salto AB
Architects: Salto AB
Location: Tartu, Estonia
Project team: Maarja Kask, Karli Luik, Ralf Lõoke, Kristiina Arusoo
Client: YIT
Project area: 2,000 sqm
Project year: 2006-2007
Photographs: Salto AB
Apartment building on Aleksandri St is located in an environment with many different spatial strata. The shape of the building is affected by a restricted detailed plan, drafted to the plot years ago, and a large water collector diagonally dissecting the plot and thus, the house. Conforming to these restrictiong, the building meanders on the plot, softly reaching towards ground on the ends. Characteristically to backyard buildings, it does not have a distinctive main façade. According to the relief of the plot, there are multi-level apartments with higher living rooms; all apartments feature a balcony or terrace.
section
-
- site plan
-
- plan 01
-
- plan 02
-
- section
Good one. the receding terraces are a great idea.
One thing, from the outside it looks like the ceiling height is a bit less that usual, the entire complex gives the impression of being shorter that it probably is, it’s not bad actually, makes it approachable.
My first impression is that of a beautiful and carefully designed project. but on closer examination of the maps I am curious to the spatial perception of the splitlevel floors and the perception of the apartments?
Again, at first glance it would seem a very nice place to live serene and peacful. But, after looking a little closer at the floor plans it is a catastrophe. Bebrooms at the front entrance and kitchens pasted in.
Yes the building is attractive but i sure wouldn’t want to live there. Alot more can be done even if the apartment is small.
I’ve been in apts/condos with this setup. These are small apts/condos, not meant for entertaining. This is a common setup.
Totally agree! When we do everything for the image, sometimes the more important is forgotten… but we don’t live in a magazine neither in an internet site, we (could) live in these apartments and the internal distribution is a complete disaster! It’s about time for us architects to have the sense that we design for PEOPLE, not for photographs…