Inside the old Romanian Stock Exchange building, the shipping case inspired furniture functions as storage space and compartment walls - part of a statement on the company's dynamic profile and a nod to the spirit of the place.
The warm touch results from the use of natural wood. The furnishing is done entirely in plywood, the warmth of the wood being transmitted to the sense of touch. Part of another attempt to warm up the coldness of the industrial setting, the lighting bodies are shaped as oversized bedside lamps.
The conversation areas are furnished with Chesterfield armchairs, an icon of the establishment, forming an ironic contrast with the spartan aspect of the rest of the space and furniture.
The wheeled shipping-cases solve both the problem of storage and compartments. Besides, the space can be reconfigured at any time.

Those still laboring under the (only too) human pre-conception that while cars pass, buildings stay put, would do well to pay a visit to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart – the place where the common belief mentioned above is shattered, along with many other myths and legends that we’ve bought into mostly due to our understanding of gravity. The automobile – symbol of dynamics, acceleration and innovation – here lies elegantly, lavishly still, as any exhibit ought to, while the museum itself seems to be endowed with the capacity, if not even the drive, to pick up and start moving at the turn of a key.
Somehow, all of the many varied elements of the construction site were inserted – and incorporated – in the process of creating the iconic Porsche building.
The body of the museum is solid, tough and – how else if not? – aerodynamic. The proposal sketch, which is beyond the grasp of anyone who hasn’t studies dynamic physics or at least played NFS, clearly expresses the “concept of architecture in permanent motion within the field of interactions between the building and its users,” explains Roman Delugan. But the generic user here becomes a spectator of a stage essentially built according to the same principles that would have one climb all the way up to the acropolis, instead of simply placing it within his easy reach.
The entire volume (measuring 21 000 cubic meters), betraying an otherwise seamless structural accuracy, rests upon only three major supporting points and basically floats, like a huge console, putting on a show for the spectators on the ascending slope of the access ramp.

Developed on three almost identical levels and covering a surface of about 300 sqm per level, the architectural object could have become "heavy", but the glazed surfaces de-materialize it, transforming full volumes into ribbons, thus obtaining a dynamic ensemble. The lines of the fixed sunshades accentuate the horizontal lines of the facades, contributing to their perception from a human scale. The secondary volume marking the entrance inside the house is detached from both the plan of the facade and that of the courtyard, through a flight of five steps. The chromatic discourse is dominated by an elegant matching of white and dark brown, in perfect harmony with the accuracy of the lines and the precision of the combination of materials.
The coherence and logic of the language are also found in the interior design. Inside the house, the space has a unique sense of dynamics, resulting from the volume's division, especially on the vertical. The various functions are developed on one or two levels, while the various passage ways allow the perception of multiple areas at the same time.

Although he was born in Argentina, in his work, Alfredo Häberli’s work is not overly loaded with the impetuosity and passion that is characteristic to Latin-Americans. On the other hand, despite having been based in Switzerland for many years now, nor does he place excessive emphasis on Swiss rationality and precision. What sets him apart in the world of contemporary design is precisely the equilibrium he’s managed to find between emotion and pragmatism, between functionality and playfulness.
He often states that his desire is to create objects which allow other products to attach themselves around them with ease, “light” objects, mirroring a natural, relaxed, well-balanced lifestyle. He carefully observes reality, the details of his surroundings and their inner workings, only then letting himself be carried away with the pleasure of drawing, first guessing at and then defining new forms. Each work goes through several stages and analyses, the final purpose of which is a long-lasting design, truly functional, forceful and subtle at the same time. “I’ve given myself gray hairs because what I enjoy is first to think a lot and only later to approach things emotionally”, he confesses in a recent interview.

The story begins with an elegant building, on a narrow, retreated site, and drawn by two talented local architects for two of their young associates, at the same time entrepreneurs drawn into the adventure of decorating their home. A simple question followed: "Why don't you try to design our apartment? You'll like the place, you'll see." And so it was... Then, there is also serendipity, which was the case here: they offered me confidence like no other clients and the joy of imagining their house together.
"You'll see that we began to work on it, but, with your help, things could be more simple". They confessed that they wished to live beautifully and take advantage of the generous space of the three-room apartment. He wished for a "smart" house and loved the magnificent terrace above the apartment, with a 360° view on Bucharest. She loved him. Therefore, we had all the ingredients and we were ready to work together on a story with a happy end. It was a beautiful intro to the project of designing the loft next to Ioanid Park!
(Arch. Daniel Ciocazanu)