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Michigan Loft by Vladimir Radutny Architects is set within a 100-year-old building in Chicago, formerly used for automotive assembly and display. The vast and impressive shell wasn’t initially well-suited for domestic use, with the architects working to craft a living space that evokes mental wellness and creative inspiration.

A timber ‘transition zone’ structure forms a low and cosy entrance, subduing the potentially overwhelming sensation of entering a vast industrial space. The architects employ carefully sized components, material restraint and theatrical lighting throughout in order to lessen the overall dominance of the imposing scale. In the main living space, original concrete ceilings, columns and large windows maintain an overall sense of openness and clarity.

The timber entrance structure extends into the apartment, functioning to organize the open-plan room into designated spaces while providing nooks for more sentimental furniture and décor items as well as plants collected throughout the client’s lives. Placed atop a timber platform, the kitchen elevates the inhabitant’s vantage point during meal preparation and affords views toward one of Chicago’s most iconic streets, Michigan Avenue.

Atop the same timber platform, the bedroom is concealed within a cube clad in black steel, set away from the perimeter of the apartment for most effective noise and temperature control. The interior is lined with timber panelling, and borrowed daylight forms a sunny oasis within. Acting as a visual anchor atop a platform, the metal outer skin of the cube transforms as panels open up, revealing many uses such as a concealed TV cabinet. Adding to the overall minimal and streamlined feel, amenities such as the laundry, mechanicals and storage are integrated within built-in cabinetry and dispersed strategically throughout the space.

Within the building’s raw, industrial shell, the architects explain, “As one moves between levels, a variety of unexpected vantage points and views are revealed.”

Upper levels function as spare bedrooms for visitors and offices for the couple who live there, enabling the open living space to have both separation and connectivity throughout the day. Within an upper loft, where inhabitants come close to the original concrete ceiling, a doorway leads to a surprising vast outdoor garden with views of the Chicago skyline.

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