"A cosy home for a Berlin couple" – that was the brief Ester Bruzkus Architects set out to tackle. Their canvas: a 120 m² rectangular penthouse, raw concrete walls unadorned, and an L-shaped terrace. The challenge was clear: transform raw brutalism into warmth and livability. But what does "cosy" really mean? The architect's answer was as elegant as it was unconventional – a "Green Box" that would ultimately give the project its name.

Bruzkus created a custom-built green volume—a sculptural insertion into the elongated space. Its form is deceptively simple: MDF panels finished in a saturated forest green. Yet beneath this refined minimalism lies sophisticated layering. The front edge houses the kitchen zone: a sleek countertop in lush green stone, paired with salmon-hued seating and a blackened-glass dining table that frames views across the terrace to the city beyond. Behind, the rear elevation conceals the utilities: two full baths and a cleverly integrated sauna that retracts into the wall. Here, natural stone plays a starring role—green marble at the sinks, blush-pink basins and blackened steel accents create an unexpected visual rhythm. One narrow end transforms into integrated shelving, anchoring the living area beyond—a genuinely inviting space anchored by a hand-tufted vegetable-silk carpet, a richly hued curry-coloured sofa, a grand piano, and a showstopping fireplace with brass-clad flue. Firewood nestles neatly beneath a travertine ledge, its warm stone echoed in dusty-pink panels nearby. The opposite end accommodates the bedroom, where a floral-patterned headboard offers a vibrant counterpoint to the room's measured palette.

It's remarkable how one simple gesture can completely reshape a space—or as Bruzkus describes it: "It's a straightforward idea: place a box in the middle of the room. Yet it transforms everything." Her firm was recognized for this vision with the Best of Interior Design 2021 award.

www.esterbruzkus.com

Photography Credits:

Robert Rieger
www.robrie.com

(Published in CUBE Berlin 04|21)