Raw Apartment

Raw Apartment is located in the western part of New Zagreb, in close proximity to the river Sava. The building dates back to the 1960s and was part of an emblematic experimental housing project based on prefabricated dwelling units. Developed as a testing ground for new construction methods, the project employed the JU61 system—a prefabricated reinforced concrete structure in which the walls function simultaneously as partitions and load-bearing elements. The building is clad in corrugated steel panels, reinforcing its industrial character.

The renovation approach was radical in its simplicity: to remove all material layers from walls, floors, and ceilings in order to reveal the apartment’s original materiality and structure. By stripping the space back to its essence, the raw concrete construction becomes fully exposed and becomes the main element of the interior.

The apartment is organized as a compact living unit consisting of a living and dining room, kitchen, bathroom, and one bedroom. Originally the living area was composed of two small rooms that were merged to create a single, more generous space. As all walls are made of reinforced concrete and are structurally active, this intervention required additional structural supports in the form of steel beams and columns, which were intentionally left exposed and integrated into the spatial narrative.

The material palette pays tribute to the building’s history and its brutalist origins. Walls, ceilings, and floors remain undressed, returning to their true material state – concrete. Furniture elements are predominantly made of steel and aluminium, referencing the corrugated metal façade and the industrial language of the apartment.

Glass and mirrors play a key role in defining partitions and doors. The narrow, dark bathroom is infused with natural light by replacing the solid wall toward the bedroom with translucent glass. This intervention visually enlarges the space while creating a layered backdrop behind the open wardrobe system, where the illuminated glass surface doubles as a backlight.

The severity of the raw materials – concrete, metal, and glass – is softened through the use of curtains. Beyond providing sun protection, the curtains function as flexible spatial dividers, allowing the inhabitants to adjust levels of openness and intimacy according to their needs.

Raw apartment is highly unconvential and disrputive, challenging familiar residential conventions. Smooth walls give way to rough, imperfect ones. Solid doors are transformed into mirrored surfaces. Fixed wardrobe openings are replaced with flexible curtains. Openings are left rough and raw, revealing the building’s layers and concrete core. The design is shaped not through decoration and layering, but through subtraction by undressing the apartment to its raw state.