Running at right angles with the elongated staircase, a 7-metre-long multifunctional kitchen counter stretches between two terraces in the middle of the space representing yet another bold design gesture that stands in both volumetric and tonal contrast with the curvaceous concrete structure arching over it. Made from black lava stone and featuring a planting area where herbs can be grown, it serves as a cooking, eating and working area, while also notionally dividing the open plan layout, in conjunction with the staircase, into a living room, dining area and lounge.

On the upper floor, a ribbon like gallery allows the glazed perimeter to flood the entire loft in daylight, only widening at the ends to house the private quarters. In order to maximize the amount of natural light and retain the sense of spaciousness, the architects have relied on translucency to ensure privacy for the master bedroom (white curtains), guest room (frosted glass) and reading area (open-ended bookcase). The only truly enclosed space on the mezzanine level is the bathroom, although even here the architects have innovated by designing a protruding glass shower cabin that hovers four metres above the ground.

The bathroom’s concrete volume extends to the lower floor where a wellness area is housed. Conceived as a private retreat, it features a large bath, a sauna and a shower encased in a faceted design of quadrilateral and triangular timber-lined surfaces. The spa’s meditative ambience is shared by the loft’s two terraces, one of which has been designed as a “Zen garden” where a jasmine tree grows out of a small earth mound that appears to spilling out of the building fabric, as is fitting with Smartvoll’s visionary design of sculptural audacity.