Warwickshire, a county in central England. Avant-garde architecture is hard to find in the rolling hills around the village of Moreton Paddox.
Half-hidden in the grounds, a lover of Japanese-inspired architecture has fulfilled his personal dream home. An architecture that plays with perception and sensuality. Materials that emphasize the valuable in the simple. And a kitchen by Poggenpohl that impressively repeats the graphic lines of the house in its monumentality.
Here, there is no distinction between living, eating and cooking, the different areas of life are laid out fluidly like a continuum. The main element is the monolithic kitchen island by Poggenpohl, which, placed in the middle of the room, becomes the focal point of the residents and guests. The kitchen is at the centre of pure built aesthetics and, with its clarity, takes up the deliberate restraint of the architecture like a quote.
The expansive block with surfaces and sides made of polished Nero Marquina was made to measure by Poggenpohl with precision craftsmanship. With a length of around 7 metres, the kitchen furniture becomes an architectural, sculptural element. The black of the limestone corresponds with the dark metal bars of the windows, the light veins of the natural stone refer to the play of colours of the ubiquitous concrete of the floor, wall and ceiling.
When the weather is good, life shifts from the kitchen island to the sheltered courtyard. The black tabletop forms the centre, the slender trees are precisely placed in the ensemble.
Seen from the street, the building looks as if it has sunk, the reflection in the basin in front of it is a virtuoso indication of the larger volume. Only concrete, steel and glass are used as visible building materials. At the client’s request, BNP Architects have unmistakably drawn parallels with the Tadao Ando work. Pure but skilfully processed materials are combined with an absolutely reduced, straightforward geometry of the house and a masterful play with natural light.
At the rear, a window façade articulated with steel bars stretches upwards and offers a view of the two levels of the building. Inside and outside mix, the pointedly green courtyard becomes an extension of the central interior, which occupies the entire width of the approximately 465 square meter house. A staircase leads to the lowered level of the living level. The massive steel door leads directly into the central living room. The shadow play of sunlight unfolds impressively in the living room. The open room structure and the glass wall allow the areas to merge seamlessly.
Exciting lines of sight connect the living space with the courtyards. The view goes over the kitchen island and the staircase to the front courtyard with flowering plants.
Once again, it becomes impressively clear that innovations have a long tradition at Poggenpohl: As the inventor of modern cuisine, Poggenpohl combines architectural thinking and action.
