THE CROWN MAGAZINE - life styled
Mr Panahi, you are the creative mind behind the interior design of THE CROWN. What role did you play in this exceptional project?
My task at THE CROWN was to develop three different styles of living. The procedure for projects like this can basically be broken down into one important aspect: the user’s perspective. From this point of view, THE CROWN also raised a number of basic questions: What do I see when I enter the apartment? What is the first thing I look at? Interiors are the heart of a building; they are where you live, where you make your home. They’re the space you inhabit every day – and that’s why it’s so important that the interior feels welcoming and the rooms invite you to linger.
You talk about a welcoming interior – how is this created in rooms?
At THE CROWN, open-plan living plays a key role. Especially in the bedrooms and bathrooms of the apartments, open structures are crucial for setting the mood of the rooms. We know this principle of breaking open room structures, for example, from open-plan kitchen/ living areas, which are integrated into the living space by removing the walls. An analogous approach can be found in the living rooms and bathrooms of THE CROWN: by opening up rooms, the bathroom becomes part of the bedroom.
What also makes the floor plans of the apartments so special is that attractive spa-like bathrooms with free-standing bathtubs can be included. In the blueprints, these are partly in the middle of the room or near the bed, only set off by an enclosed tile carpet. What seems unusual at first glance immediately creates a special atmosphere in the rooms. They were deliberately designed to be a little more provocative rather than classic. This made it possible to create something in this segment that feels exclusive and special, not only because of high-quality materials, but simply because of the way the rooms have been thought-out and planned.
The design effect generated by light is also crucial here. We can achieve a lot by integrating light in the right way. THE CROWN is characterised by a special solution in this respect: all designs feature coved lighting above the walls, which creates wonderful highlights and accents in the open-plan apartments.
And this standard was achieved independent of the particular interior style chosen?
Opening up and moving walls in the floor plans was something we did in all apartments – whether 55 m2 or 420 m2 and regardless of the interior style. Contrary to popular belief, interior design is not only concerned with the interior of a building. Rather, it the correspondence between the exterior and interior which must be planned and coordinated. The work proceeds from large to small, i.e. from the building as a whole down to the smallest design details and vice versa. Interior design deals with both the geometric division of space and with materials and furniture.
At THE CROWN, we were able to get involved in the project at a very early stage, so we could contribute ideas from the very beginning. The first step was to determine the basic room layout and examine the basic conditions: How do I enter the room, what do I want to look at, what are the visual axes, how large is the room in front of me? The starting point for this is the floor plans. Only in the next step, materials and furniture are assigned.
These visual axes and perspectives are of particular importance for the apartments in THE CROWN, right?
Exactly. Given these views, we have to pay a lot of attention to this aspect. Still, the room sequences are also an important component. The rooms must be arranged logically. The focus is on simple questions: Do I enter the living room through the kitchen? Do I have a separate dining room? Or do I offer both – an open-plan kitchen with a dining area and an additional dining room for special occasions? Given that we worked a lot with open-plan layouts for THE CROWN, as mentioned before, the dining room in many apartments here extends far into the kitchen, which in turn opens up to the living room.
How would you describe the interior design of THE CROWN?
A total of three interior styles were implemented for THE CROWN: PURE, COCO and SILK. With these living styles we want to appeal to different personalities and needs. The designs already provide a glimpse of the range of possibilities available in THE CROWN in the future. The apartments have fixed components that are included. These include the floor, wall, ceiling, and bathroom fittings. In addition, there is some built-in furniture that is chosen on site. Further optional fixtures, such as kitchens, shelves, cabinets and fireplace walls, can be purchased.
What makes these styles so special is that while they are individual design lines, on one hand, they are based on the same geometries on the other. Depending on the style, this geometric starting point was interpreted differently, which is evident in the colour and material design, as well as the inclusion of certain features. While PURE is reduced to the basics, COCO impresses with additional colour accents and wood looks in the surfaces. The SILK style features added wood panelling as an extra element.
What distinguishes each style?
PURE is probably the calmest of the three styles. As the name suggests, monolithic-looking rooms and straight lines set the scene here. PURE stands for a modern purism that has acted as a guiding principle and namesake for this style, which has successfully shown that simplicity and rich details are not mutually exclusive: although taupe, greige and beige tones dominate, they are very restrained and create a sense of clarity and harmony. The desaturated colour palette is complemented by elements of stone, concrete and stainless steel. PURE describes a clean design, which still does not lack sophistication – quite the opposite! The purist design allows for additional creative scope without running the risk of abandoning the concept. Thanks to the mixed colour, grey or beige shades can be used, for example. This offers a wide range of possible combinations.
Let’s move on to the second style: COCO. The name, of course, immediately brings to mind Coco Chanel – did her style inspire the design?
In fact, the idea for the name actually came more from the brown and white contrast of the coconut. But the name was deliberately reduced to COCO because a strong black and white contrast is also one of Chanel’s style elements. I think that’s a very beautiful and coherent parallel indeed!
Contrasts are the key element of this second style. An aspect that’s very clearly defined throughout is the triad of wood, stone and metal.
In COCO, this appears in the form of dark stained oak, grey and white marble and contrasting gold. There’s also a lot of leather, black and white. What’s more, the COCO style is strongly aligned with the given architectural conditions: Mr Ingenhoven has given the building a distinctive structure that also plays into the interior concept. COCO sets off these structures in grey in the interior spaces, thus additionally emphasising the architectural language. This achieves an interesting interplay of architecture and interior design – a beautiful symbiosis. Metallic contrasts in brushed gold further emphasise and strengthen this interaction. This alone already shows you that COCO’s design is rather extravagant. The apartments have an air of international luxury, a touch of Hollywood.
To achieve this, special highlight furniture and fixtures were used to consolidate the character of the entire design. Although the geometries remain the same, the COCO style gives the apartments a completely new atmosphere. If we imagine the space as a mannequin, then the materials are the clothes – which brings us back to Coco Chanel!
What characterises SILK, and how did this third style get its name?
SILK is an architectural style set apart by its simple, straight lines. The colour scheme is made up of natural shades of grey, complemented by soft, earthy tones. It’s more the different materials that create an indispensable contrast here. SILK was also extended with metal accents, in this case bronze, which is reflected in the furnishings and also in the frames of the built-in furniture. It’s quickly obvious that this style isn’t exactly minimalist. Nevertheless, it exudes a kind of reduced charm, which is reflected especially in the aforementioned materials that give the style its warmth. This systematic choice ensures a calm, harmonious and yet contrasting overall appearance and in this way brings out the individual geometries of the rooms. The result represents an interior design style that – with its purist, natural extravagance – is reminiscent of silk fabrics: elegant, yet modest – a truly special combination. This explains the name we chose for it.
So SILK is characterised by its special mix of materials?
That’s right. SILK’s main feature is that the floor in the living areas is made from terrazzo tiles. This is rather unusual because wooden floors are more popular these days, especially in living rooms. Wood on wood can look a bit monotonous. The stone base makes the loose wood furniture stand out even more.
Also very characteristic of this style are the wood-panelled walls, which boast a very high quality and an almost timeless touch. With the SILK style, this addition extends from the living rooms to the bedrooms and bathrooms. In the bedroom, the harmony of parquet flooring and wood panelling therefore creates an especially cosy ambiance.
It certainly sounds like all styles have been thought out down to the smallest detail. Can buyers purchase the apartments exactly as shown?
Yes, the basic idea is that buyers can get the styles exactly as they see and experience them in the visualisations. So basically, THE CROWN is designed for buyers to get turnkey apartments as seen: PURE is sold as the basic set; COCO and SILK can be purchased additionally on request.
Doesn’t that make the apartments lack individuality?
Absolutely not! Irrespective of the design style, THE CROWN by DC Developments offers living space that is unparalleled in terms of its high quality and standards. This is evident not least in the numerous choice features that the styles include – even the rather minimalist PURE line, for example, comes with a choice of custom vanities and fixtures. Without exception, each style is also distinguished by its unusual materials. In addition, the styles are essentially designed to be neutral in colour so that the rooms can individually fitted with your own f urniture, thus also giving you the opportunity to put your own personal touch on it.
THE CROWN is a multi-layered project. How do you typically go about planning such a large job?
I tackle all projects together with my colleague, Ms Randi Schumacher. We see ourselves as a boutique creative agency in that we combine our expertise in design, architecture, interior design and branding. Our way of working is strongly customer and project driven. At THE CROWN, too, we have tailored the interior design individually to the architectural and project-specific conditions. Our goal is always to grasp the project holistically. This way we can ensure the best possible result for our customers. So each project is unique and deserves a unique approach. However, there is one particular approach on which we base every design process: it’s important to recognise the potential of a project and to bring it out with an appropriate design language. The goal here is to work out the essence of a style; the style in its pure form, so to speak. This reduction to the essentials results in a common stylistic thread that is reflected in all aspects of the project and ensures visual consistency throughout.
This style can then be further thought out and applied in almost any other conceivable way, and its creative potential can be fully developed – in which case there’s no longer any roadmap we could follow.
MEDIUM:
Strandkai „The Crown" Magazine - 2021
LOCATION:
Hamburg
LINK:
www.strandkai.com/the-crown
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