This Warsaw apartment, tucked away in a quiet residential neighbourhood characterised by low-rise historic buildings and mid-century architecture, offered a rare spatial luxury with expansive views of the city centre alongside five-metre-high ceilings. “The neighbourhood sits right next to downtown yet offers a much calmer atmosphere, despite its proximity to major thoroughfares,” says Aleksandra Dobrowolska-Grobel, founder of local practice dobrowolska.studio. “Finding a quiet, top-floor apartment with a view of the skyline is an absolute dream.”
Photo: Mood Authors
However, when Polish practice dobrowolska.studio took on the space, it hadn’t been renovated in 25 years and suffered from decades of awkward structural modifications by various inhabitants. Previous owners had added an upper level that blocked off the central high-ceilinged volume, leaving it windowless and unusable, while the ground floor was cramped with narrow hallways, a tight bathroom and an awkward kitchen. Dobrowolska-Grobel saw through the tangle of low ceilings and dark corners, identifying the living room’s soaring proportions and natural light as the anchor for a complete spatial redesign.
Photo: Mood Authors