PentHouse 111
Elements of wind, light and emptiness
Anastasia Reznikova
Аuthors
Author and chief architect of the project.
Author’s supervision
Author’s supervision
Studio team ANRE ARCHITECTS
Development:
- preliminary design
- working engineering and technical documentation (complete album of drawings for builders)
- photorealistic renderings
- printing
CEO. Management and control of execution:
- construction process
- technical supervision
- logistics
- object equipment
implementation
2025
Square
170 м2
Сustomer
Studio ANRE ARCHITECTS
This property became another impulse point of inspiration for architect Anastasia Reznikova, who was greatly impressed by this new home. The top (29th) floor with its high ceilings and numerous French windows along the perimeter offers a unique sense of wind and light. The property was acquired by the studio for further architectural development, full turnkey completion, and the search for its future owner.
Architecture and spatial ergonomics always form the basis of how the architect envisions solutions aimed at maximizing ventilation. This approach allows the space to be used to its fullest, emphasizing the key value of volume choice and the feeling of lightness inherent to the top floor of the building. With this in mind, the property was designed as an apartment with a large combined living room and kitchen. There is space for a dining area, but in this case, it was removed to maintain an open, uncluttered layout — a bedroom, a large living area, and a small section for a second bedroom. These are fairly standard arrangements for a single occupant with a guest area, a couple, or a family with a child.
The space invites creativity: one could paint on large canvases, practice yoga, play music, and do anything the soul desires.
The 160-square-meter property functionally merges two full-sized apartments into one. One apartment is entirely dedicated to a master suite with a large walk-in closet and bathroom, while the other houses the living room with kitchen and a secondary bedroom. The entrance area is not separately defined in order to avoid a corridor layout, as is often seen in traditional floor plans.
Given the open plan, zoning revolves around two monolithic systems: the first is in the living room/kitchen — a massive kitchen island that incorporates all the essential functions of a convenient kitchen, including a breakfast area. The kitchen can be closed off, appearing as a minimalist wall of light-gray veneer. The second monolithic block lies in the master bedroom — a four-meter concrete table at the head of the bed, serving as an art office space. This is a spacious, cozy, and comfortable workplace for a creative person.
The most unusual solution in this property is the use of hand-molded brick as flooring — an unexpected choice for a penthouse, more common in country residences. The idea was to unify the apartment’s entire space through the floor, allowing one to walk around in shoes without removing them. In the living room and bedroom, rough-textured beige rugs mark special zones; these timeless pieces can undergo unlimited dry cleaning and add extra coziness in winter. The hand-crafted architectural brick creates a rhythm throughout the space, lending structure to the minimalist open layout and contrasting with fine white wool window treatments.
The bedroom features a fireplace designed with the idea that the bedroom should be equal in size to the living room. Creating an added sense of coziness through fire was important. Viewing each interior solution as an independent manifestation of harmony, the bedroom becomes a place for quiet retreat, contemplation of the fire with a book in hand. This fireplace is intended for personal enjoyment, unlike communal hearths that bring people together; it is a deep space for immersion and creativity. Given the location, the penthouse’s concept was inspired by the yacht club across the road — from spring to autumn, coming home from the pier is comfortable, as you can light the fireplace and relax. It works year-round, not just in winter, which is an especially appealing feature.
Steel mass is an important architectural motif here: subtly framing all doorways. This is especially noticeable in the thickness of the edges — looking straight on, it’s just 3 mm of solid metal.
Thus, this property was created to highlight materials, textures, sensations, measures, strength, and the beauty of the elements through a harmonious proportional vision, showcasing how materials interact. This is seen especially clearly in the combination of white brick, matte specially-polished steel, matte beige-gray veneer, fine wool and white fabrics, and abundant natural linen. All this fosters a sense of harmonious proportion and balance within the space. The top floor penthouse and the ever-present wind through open windows and balconies make you feel lifted upward.
Technical lighting plays a key role in the project. At night, narrow beams are focused at ground level. There is no general ceiling floodlighting, as Anastasia believes such a solution belongs only in operating rooms and warehouses. Instead, emphasis is placed on reflected light from properly designed ceilings and on narrow focused lighting built into furniture and pre-planned relative to functional zones.
Furniture and accessories were chosen from the architect’s favorite manufacturers, listed in the specifications. The goal was to greatly simplify technical engineering solutions, forgoing complex automated lighting, since each element was designed for zoning and controlled via a single French-style switch. Climate systems are managed via a wall-mounted remote. The living room houses a large screen and projector, with sound provided through Bang & Olufsen designer speakers. Furniture selection favored natural linen of various formats: consistent textures, massive square volumes in the sofa and bed, and leather elements in durable saddle leather that ages beautifully. Even scuffs and scratches look as they would on an expensive riding saddle.
The custom-designed furniture includes all other joinery: built-in and integrated pieces, kitchens with inlayed drawer inserts, radiator grilles, architectural window reveals — all part of the carpentry elements. Door portals were inspired by Egyptian temples and a multi-step doorway system.
Among the favored furniture brands here is Piet Boon — an American designer producing unique 50s-style pieces with outstanding quality. These items are acquired to accumulate value over the years, since such timeless designs cannot go out of style, becoming classics for at least half a century.
The strongest lighting solutions come from Viabizzuno, another favorite of Anastasia. They develop utterly unique miniature fixtures; the macramé collection includes lamps less than 1 cm in size with tiny focused lenses projecting a powerful beam two to three meters away. These appear as invisible architectural lines yet carry multiple technical functions suitable for everyday life. For instance, the concrete table at the bed’s headboard incorporates a rail with tiny adjustable lights, USB charging slots, and versatile lamps movable along the track. Stands for decorative art pieces are also provided. This is a space one can endlessly explore at different times of day, and at night, when the outside view disappears, the interior reveals the art of evening lighting — which Anastasia considers Viabizzuno’s genius.
The concept of this interior arose spontaneously, as did the sensations it evokes. The elemental themes of wind, light, and emptiness were preserved, while using heavy materials such as brick, steel, and wood. The play of contrasts creates an illusion. Interiors here are about sensuality and feeling. It is safe, clean, and energetically unburdened: every object has its place, all storage systems are perfectly calculated, and all functional elements can be “parked” — meaning the kitchen can be closed off to appear as part of the living room, while the bedroom can be enclosed with large glass doors featuring gold inlays (steel threads by Rimadesio), opening up space that looks abundant with spatial solutions or precisely segmented without excess.
The author of the space is architect Anastasia Reznikova, with the internal team of ANRE architects participating in the execution and detailing.
Architecture and spatial ergonomics always form the basis of how the architect envisions solutions aimed at maximizing ventilation. This approach allows the space to be used to its fullest, emphasizing the key value of volume choice and the feeling of lightness inherent to the top floor of the building. With this in mind, the property was designed as an apartment with a large combined living room and kitchen. There is space for a dining area, but in this case, it was removed to maintain an open, uncluttered layout — a bedroom, a large living area, and a small section for a second bedroom. These are fairly standard arrangements for a single occupant with a guest area, a couple, or a family with a child.
The space invites creativity: one could paint on large canvases, practice yoga, play music, and do anything the soul desires.
The 160-square-meter property functionally merges two full-sized apartments into one. One apartment is entirely dedicated to a master suite with a large walk-in closet and bathroom, while the other houses the living room with kitchen and a secondary bedroom. The entrance area is not separately defined in order to avoid a corridor layout, as is often seen in traditional floor plans.
Given the open plan, zoning revolves around two monolithic systems: the first is in the living room/kitchen — a massive kitchen island that incorporates all the essential functions of a convenient kitchen, including a breakfast area. The kitchen can be closed off, appearing as a minimalist wall of light-gray veneer. The second monolithic block lies in the master bedroom — a four-meter concrete table at the head of the bed, serving as an art office space. This is a spacious, cozy, and comfortable workplace for a creative person.
The most unusual solution in this property is the use of hand-molded brick as flooring — an unexpected choice for a penthouse, more common in country residences. The idea was to unify the apartment’s entire space through the floor, allowing one to walk around in shoes without removing them. In the living room and bedroom, rough-textured beige rugs mark special zones; these timeless pieces can undergo unlimited dry cleaning and add extra coziness in winter. The hand-crafted architectural brick creates a rhythm throughout the space, lending structure to the minimalist open layout and contrasting with fine white wool window treatments.
The bedroom features a fireplace designed with the idea that the bedroom should be equal in size to the living room. Creating an added sense of coziness through fire was important. Viewing each interior solution as an independent manifestation of harmony, the bedroom becomes a place for quiet retreat, contemplation of the fire with a book in hand. This fireplace is intended for personal enjoyment, unlike communal hearths that bring people together; it is a deep space for immersion and creativity. Given the location, the penthouse’s concept was inspired by the yacht club across the road — from spring to autumn, coming home from the pier is comfortable, as you can light the fireplace and relax. It works year-round, not just in winter, which is an especially appealing feature.
Steel mass is an important architectural motif here: subtly framing all doorways. This is especially noticeable in the thickness of the edges — looking straight on, it’s just 3 mm of solid metal.
Thus, this property was created to highlight materials, textures, sensations, measures, strength, and the beauty of the elements through a harmonious proportional vision, showcasing how materials interact. This is seen especially clearly in the combination of white brick, matte specially-polished steel, matte beige-gray veneer, fine wool and white fabrics, and abundant natural linen. All this fosters a sense of harmonious proportion and balance within the space. The top floor penthouse and the ever-present wind through open windows and balconies make you feel lifted upward.
Technical lighting plays a key role in the project. At night, narrow beams are focused at ground level. There is no general ceiling floodlighting, as Anastasia believes such a solution belongs only in operating rooms and warehouses. Instead, emphasis is placed on reflected light from properly designed ceilings and on narrow focused lighting built into furniture and pre-planned relative to functional zones.
Furniture and accessories were chosen from the architect’s favorite manufacturers, listed in the specifications. The goal was to greatly simplify technical engineering solutions, forgoing complex automated lighting, since each element was designed for zoning and controlled via a single French-style switch. Climate systems are managed via a wall-mounted remote. The living room houses a large screen and projector, with sound provided through Bang & Olufsen designer speakers. Furniture selection favored natural linen of various formats: consistent textures, massive square volumes in the sofa and bed, and leather elements in durable saddle leather that ages beautifully. Even scuffs and scratches look as they would on an expensive riding saddle.
The custom-designed furniture includes all other joinery: built-in and integrated pieces, kitchens with inlayed drawer inserts, radiator grilles, architectural window reveals — all part of the carpentry elements. Door portals were inspired by Egyptian temples and a multi-step doorway system.
Among the favored furniture brands here is Piet Boon — an American designer producing unique 50s-style pieces with outstanding quality. These items are acquired to accumulate value over the years, since such timeless designs cannot go out of style, becoming classics for at least half a century.
The strongest lighting solutions come from Viabizzuno, another favorite of Anastasia. They develop utterly unique miniature fixtures; the macramé collection includes lamps less than 1 cm in size with tiny focused lenses projecting a powerful beam two to three meters away. These appear as invisible architectural lines yet carry multiple technical functions suitable for everyday life. For instance, the concrete table at the bed’s headboard incorporates a rail with tiny adjustable lights, USB charging slots, and versatile lamps movable along the track. Stands for decorative art pieces are also provided. This is a space one can endlessly explore at different times of day, and at night, when the outside view disappears, the interior reveals the art of evening lighting — which Anastasia considers Viabizzuno’s genius.
The concept of this interior arose spontaneously, as did the sensations it evokes. The elemental themes of wind, light, and emptiness were preserved, while using heavy materials such as brick, steel, and wood. The play of contrasts creates an illusion. Interiors here are about sensuality and feeling. It is safe, clean, and energetically unburdened: every object has its place, all storage systems are perfectly calculated, and all functional elements can be “parked” — meaning the kitchen can be closed off to appear as part of the living room, while the bedroom can be enclosed with large glass doors featuring gold inlays (steel threads by Rimadesio), opening up space that looks abundant with spatial solutions or precisely segmented without excess.
The author of the space is architect Anastasia Reznikova, with the internal team of ANRE architects participating in the execution and detailing.