{"id":213611,"date":"2023-06-27T16:33:14","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T20:33:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=213611"},"modified":"2023-06-27T16:33:21","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T20:33:21","slug":"budapest-flat-ramy-fischler-studio","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/budapest-flat-ramy-fischler-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"Danube Views and Ancient Architecture Meet in Budapest Flat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"grounded
In the living area of a three-bedroom apartment in Budapest, Hungary, by Ramy Fischler Studio, Pierre Paulin\u2019s Pascha lounge chairs pair with a custom sofa, all seating selections based on principles of Vastu Shastra, an ancient Indian design philosophy that re\u00adquires furniture in an \u201cearth zone\u201d to be low and grounded, with no legs or feet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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June 27, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Ian Phillips<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Stephan Juillard<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Danube Views and Ancient Architecture Meet in Budapest Flat<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Ramy Fischler Studio prides itself on the diversity of its work. Recent projects include a smart fridge, an Herm\u00e8s perfume store in New York, a line of self-produced furniture, and Twitter\u2019s office in Paris, where the French firm is based and in the process of implementing a new master plan to harmonize the caf\u00e9 and restaurant terraces on the Champs-Elys\u00e9es. From time to time, the studio accepts the odd residential commission. But as principal Ramy Fischler<\/a> emphasizes, \u201cIf we take one on, it has to allow us a certain amount of creativity to develop something unique.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, an entrepreneur with interests in Hungary approached Fischler with what was certainly a singular assignment. He had bought five apartments in a new luxury development with sweeping views of Budapest\u2014one for his own use, the others for guests\u2014that he wanted decorated in more or less identical style. Fischler took the bait. \u201cWe spent a year on his unit, defining exactly what he wanted,\u201d the designer says of the 3,750-square-foot, three-bedroom floor-through, which has an additional 1,100 square feet of outdoor space. \u201cIt wouldn\u2019t have made sense to do something different in the others. The d\u00e9cor fits him like a glove and duplicating it means he can give people the same experience as staying with him, only they have their own space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Apartment Design Reflects Vastu Shastra Principles<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A series of custom floor-to-ceiling vitrines separates the living area from the central hallway.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Ceramics by Hungarian artists populate the vitrines\u2019 oak-veneered floating shelves, while a pair of custom chairs with bronze arms, upholstered backs, but no seats nestle beneath the study porthole.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The client had another very distinct demand: The design should adhere strictly to the principles of Vastu Shastra, the traditional Indian system of architecture. \u201cIt\u2019s used to determine the layout of everything from religious to domestic spaces,\u201d Fischler says, noting that the ethos is \u201csimple and frugal.\u201d One of its precepts is that the center of a home should be an empty space free from obstructions like columns or staircases (a requirement satisfied by the apartment\u2019s mid-floor entry hall). And each area in the house is related to one of the four elements\u2014fire, water, earth, and air\u2014to which distinct design rules and color palettes are attached.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fischler admits that applying such edicts was not always easy, even given the apartment\u2019s generous proportions. \u201cThe ideal locations according to Vastu Shastra for faucets, drainage, the kitchen, and so on were often in total contradiction to what was in place in the rest of the building,\u201d he reports. Among the changes he had to make to his original plans was the position of the beds. \u201cNormally I like to have them facing a window so there\u2019s an equal amount of light on both sides,\u201d he explains. \u201cBut that was impossible here because they needed to be turned toward the north.\u201d Since the living area is in an \u201cearth zone,\u201d which requires furniture to be low and grounded, none of the seating could have legs or feet. Hence the custom sofas comprising large cushions perched on travertine-slab bases. And in an adjacent sitting nook with a somewhat Japanese aesthetic<\/a>, two chairs have bronze arms and upholstered backs but no seats, the idea being that, supported by the frame, you sit directly on the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natural Materials Create a Tranquil Environment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The living-dining room boasts a full-length terrace overlooking the Danube and the imposing Hungarian Parliament Building on the far bank. Vastu Shastra aside, Fischler was determined to create as open a space as possible, reveling in the peerless view and enhancing the great natural light. He did so partly by installing a trio of floor-to-ceiling glass storage units that double as quasi-transparent partitions separating the airy room from the center hallway and the kitchen. The massive vitrines are outfitted with substantial wooden shelves that appear to float weightlessly in the void. \u201cThese units are incredibly complex,\u201d Fischler notes. In fact, they took six months to develop due to his insistence that there be no visible support system: Transparent glue and hidden mechanisms inside the boxy shelves were used instead. \u201cThere\u2019s often something that\u2019s a little extraordinary in my residential projects,\u201d the designer adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fischler favored natural materials throughout<\/a>, the most striking being the rammed-earth clay plaster applied in layers on the walls and ceiling of the main hallway. \u201cIt\u2019s the most simple and sophisticated material there is,\u201d he says. \u201cI like the way it looks as if different strata have been piled on top of each other.\u201d Other walls are clad in wood veneers like ash and tay, a West African timber, while the entry hall and bedrooms are swaddled in sound-buffering fabric paneling, a response to the client\u2019s sensitivity to noise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A large porthole window connects the ash-paneled study to the living-dining area.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Fischler\u2019s overall aim was to create not only a tranquil environment decibel-wise but also a visually soothing one. \u201cThere\u2019s a sort of sobriety and calm to the whole space,\u201d he says. No doubt the principles of Vastu Shastra contribute to that, but he believes the rigor of the architectural detailing also plays its part. \u201cFor me, the framework has to be perfect. When each line is precise, it brings a sense of composure,\u201d he asserts. \u201cThat\u2019s always the goal I set myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inside the Budapest Flat Designed by Ramy Fischler Studio\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"grounded
In the living area of a three-bedroom apartment in Budapest, Hungary, by Ramy Fischler Studio, Pierre Paulin\u2019s Pascha lounge chairs pair with a custom sofa, all seating selections based on principles of Vastu Shastra, an ancient Indian design philosophy that re\u00adquires furniture in an \u201cearth zone\u201d to be low and grounded, with no legs or feet.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"the
Hand-applied rammed-earth plaster clads the walls and ceiling of the hallway, which morphs seam\u00adlessly into the galley kitchen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"a
Comprising wool boucl\u00e9\u2013upholstered cushions perched on a travertine-slab base, the sofa sits on European oak flooring under a custom tufted-nylon rug.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Jason Miller\u2019s Modo chandelier hangs above the study\u2019s desk, chairs, and rug, all custom.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The same chairs surround the custom dining table, over which loops a bespoke fixture comprising strings of LED-lit alabaster cubes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"fabric
Fabric panels encase the serene entry hall, where GramFratesi\u2019s Bat lounge chair joins a cus\u00adtom sandblasted-glass table.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Three different shades of velvet upholster the walls of the main bedroom, in which custom furnishings include the sconces, bed, nightstands, bench, and rug.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"a
Vico Magistretti\u2019s Atollo table lamp and Eero Saarinen\u2019s Executive chair serve the main bedroom\u2019s built-in desk made of tay, an African wood, which cantilevers from the oak-paneled wall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"green
Verde serpentine stone wraps the tub area of the main bathroom. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"shades
Ramy Fischler Collection\u2019s Walter nightstand sits beneath a custom sconce in a wool flannel\u2013lined guest bedroom.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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In the second guest bedroom, this one paneled in silk and cotton satin, a sculpture by Hungarian ceramicist Simon Zsolt J\u00f3zsef gets its own niche.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
PROJECT TEAM<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
ramy fischler studio<\/span><\/a>: fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric alzeari; florence vlemelinx; xiao ye zhang; estelle tran<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
light is more<\/span><\/a>: lighting consultant<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
safa<\/span><\/a>: custom furniture workshop<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
PROJECT SOURCES<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
FROM FRONT<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
au gr\u00e9 du verre<\/span><\/a>: custom cocktail tables (living area)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
maami home<\/span><\/a>: side table<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
normann copenhagen<\/span><\/a>: ottomans<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
rubelli<\/span><\/a>: sofa fabric (LIVING AREA), PANEL FABRIC (SECOND GUEST BEDROOM)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
epoca<\/span><\/a>: custom sofas (living area), custom chairs (nook)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
lasvit; manooi<\/span><\/a>: custom ceiling fixture (living-dining area)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Gubi<\/span><\/a>: lounge chairs (living area), armchairs (entry, guest bedroom)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Roll & Hill<\/span><\/a>: chandelier (study)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
ferm living<\/span><\/a>: glasses, bowl (study), teapot (kitchen)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
ligne roset<\/span><\/a>: chairs (study, dining area)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Gaggenau<\/span><\/a>: appli\u00adances (kitchen)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
\u00e9litis<\/span><\/a>: panel fabric (main bedroom)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
d\u2019argentat<\/span><\/a>: custom nightstands<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
knoll<\/span><\/a>: desk chair<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
oluce<\/span><\/a>: table lamp<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
brossier saderne<\/span><\/a>: custom sconces<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Dedar<\/span><\/a>: bed fabric (bedrooms)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
holland & sherry<\/span><\/a>: panel fabric (FIRST guest bedroom)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
edel carpets<\/span><\/a>: carpet (guest bedrooms)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
ramy fischler collection<\/span><\/a>: nightstands<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
manooi<\/span><\/a>: custom sconces (GUEST bedrooms), custom candelabra (bathroom)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
makro<\/span><\/a>: tub (bathroom)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
alape<\/span><\/a>: sinks<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Dornbracht<\/span><\/a>: tub fittings, sink fittings<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
THROUGHOUT<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
j.d. staron<\/span><\/a>: custom rugs<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
tabu<\/span><\/a>: wood veneer<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
through zsdr\u00e1l art pop-up gal\u00e9ria<\/span><\/a>: ceramics<\/span><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n