The Altar of the King of Diamonds

Authors’ Comment

A special project for a special client, the Altar of the King of Diamonds surprises with dramatism and extravagance. Highly textured finishes, surprising shapes and games of lights and reflections are all elements that give the character of this apartment. At the entrance of the house we are greeted by the King of Diamonds, the central element of this design. This bazorelief is a metaphor. If the first chapter of his life has been marked by theological studies, the current chapter is defined to provide financial support to companies in need.

The living room, composed of the living and dining area, seems to be sectioned in two at the level of the wall finishes. The dining area is distinguished by the intense use of wood, making the floor, walls and dining table look carved from the same body. The fragmentary shape of space also contributes to its sculptural appearance, through the game of obtuse angles. The irregular 7-sided shape of the dining area was disguised by the continuous rhythm of the perimeter intervention. The living room interrupts the continuity of the wood through a monochrome treatment of the wood slat walls. They are dematerialized at the top, giving the impression of becoming screens.

The bathroom and kitchen are marked by elegance, by using dark tones and strongly highlighted textures.

The bedroom offers a contrasting space that can be seen in the pieces of furniture and the motif of the maze that covers the walls. The mirror panelling found on the side wall creates the impression of space expansion, enhanced also by its location opposite to windows that provide a generous area of light. The mirror recurrence is also found at the base of the bed, this time offering the illusion of a floating object, despite its solid consistency. Its presence is subtly doubled by white wood slats which make the passage with the vertical plane of the wall.