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Alto Apartments
Designed spaces
as canvases

Alto Apartments
Flanagan Lawrence

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Alto is a new landmark in London. In Wembley Park to be precise, an upcoming area close to the city centre, that is very interesting for young professionals. The large-scale development includes 362 market residential apartments. London based company FLINT was responsible for the interior design of the apartments and entrance of Alto. Associate director Vesna Aksentijevic led the project and tells about her approach.

This case study was published in Notes / Spring 2018.

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Vesna Aksentijevic
Associate director
Flint
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‘We put a lot of thought into our projects, focusing on a sense of space instead of individual taste’, says Vesna. ‘Because we come from architectural backgrounds, this influences our methodology and provides us with the technical ability to realise our design. We try to create synergy between exterior and interior. Working closely with the architects on this project, we designed the apartments from inside out, with functional and spatial needs influencing the external form of the building. This is how you get coherent designs that stand the test of time.’

Not driven by trends

‘At FLINT, we think that spaces should possess integrity and inherent longevity. We understand market trends, but our design approach is not driven by them; we want to create coherent, minimal and, most of all, contemporary spaces. Our focus for Alto was on neutral backgrounds, detailing, and a palette of high quality materials. Human comfort lies at the core of our practice. Whilst furniture and textiles are of great significance, spatial design and architectural interior detail should be able to stand on its own without them.’

Text Eliane Mans /
Krista Lahaye
Photography Charles Hosae
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The stair treads match the flooring of the entrance.

 



"After all, the users are all individuals with their own wishes and choices."

A design philosophy instead of a stamp

‘When you design, you not only think about space, light, rhythm and detailing, but also about practical solutions - opportunities, constraints, and user positive emotional response. After all, the users are all individuals with their own wishes and choices. Each resident will bring furniture, plants and art, and will make the space their own. By providing neutral palettes, you allow the residents this flexibility.’

Tiles as we like them

The materials and colours we chose for Alto added to these neutral canvases. Take for example the Mosa Core Collection Terra tiles for the bathrooms. Bathrooms become tranquil spaces through their simplicity. Because the colour of the tiles is not even, there is a handmade quality to them. The finish, tones and subtle gradations make them interesting, but they are still minimal and discreet.’

‘For the entrance, we selected 90 x 90 centimetres dark Mosa Core Collection Quartz tiles. The tiny speckles in these tiles catch the light at night and make the space more vivid. FLINT has worked with Mosa in the past and our appreciation comes from their emphasis on innovation, quality and sustainability.’

 

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The test of time

‘Our client, and also the marketing specialists that we worked with, created a clear brief; the design approach places emphasis on the importance of open plan living. The focus is on the flow of space, orientation, light and a palette of high quality materials. When we look back at the design and creative process, there might be a few details that we would change, but the overall approach and concept was a response to the brief and will hopefully stand the test of time. We look forward to seeing the interior used by residents and each apartment becoming someone’s home.’


The focus is on tranquility in simplicity.
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Project details
Project: Alto Appartments Wembley NW06
Architect: Flanagan Lawrence
Location: London (United Kingdom)
Completion: 2017
Mosa series: Core Collection Quartz, Core Collection Terra
More information

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