LET THE
LIGHT IN
An iconic building, majestic proportions, dramatic light: Durup drapes transform the hard edges of industrial redevelopment to create a luxurious and comfortable refuge for a wanderlust family.
The Silo is a unique - some would say iconic - residential property in Copenhagen. A former grain warehouse, the seventeen-level monolith is a study of dramatic proportions and raw materiality: a tower of galvanized steel and stone overlooking the milky waters of Copenhagen’s north harbor.
As majestic as it is beautiful, The Silo is a marvel of contemporary redevelopment with its cavernous 4.5 meter ceilings, capacious windows and architectural concrete. But cozy it is not. And that was precisely our design challenge.
How do you convert a cold, hard industrial space into a serene family refuge? This was especially important to our clients, who spend several months of the year traveling and needed a calm and comforting environment to come home to.
Our solution was a testament to the transformative power of textiles. Rather than fight against the strong voice of the space, we chose instead to engage in a nuanced conversation, playing with light and shadows, roughness and softness, the masculine and the feminine.
The light in the Nordics is as special as it is dramatic - how a home feels can change substantially depending on the time of year.
To redefine the 210 square meter duplex, we let in the light, choosing a sheer curtain but one with a more masculine structure that could stand up to the concrete walls and steel surfaces.
The chic fabric created a nuanced filter, casting whimsical light and shadows that throughout the day dance along the mixed materiality of stone, concrete and steel.
We chose a neutral color palette not only to reflect the Nordic heritage of the location but more importantly to blur the boundary between outside and inside, easing the transition with tone-in-tone natural materials that wrap the space in a textured coziness. By using the same fabric for all of the windows, we engendered the feeling of a light-filled cocoon.
“This was an incredible fabric to work with - it has an almost artistic changeability to it that really created a unique dialogue with the space. It also brought a kind of freedom to an otherwise structured and uniform design because how it interacts with the light changes depending on the time of year and the position of the sun,” said designer Nicoline Durup. “The end result was that entering this home, you feel you are stepping into both earth and clouds, where beautiful design becomes a family affair.”
