An apartment in Oslo reveals an “ethos for less”

Oscars Gate is the subtle renovation project of a historical apartment in Oslo built in 1916-18, during the Nordic Classicism period. It appears as suspended in time, with translucent white screens contrasted by existing baroque wooden frames, that inadvertently take us back to Kubrick’s 2001 last scene. British architect Simon Dance, who has worked for ten years side by side with John Pawson, was asked to redefine the apartment adding a sense of lightness and openness to the classical spaces. Simon Dance Design used opaque white partitions positioned as a room within a room in the entrance/cloakroom, and floating screens in the master bedroom, that conceals storage volumes and separate sleeping and dressing areas.

“I like to create simple spaces, where complex details are secretly disguised,” Dance explains. “The screens we used are dynamic but also calm, enhancing the passage of light and time” he continues. The original layout was quite dark so the architect opted for a neutral palette to make sure that light would wash the apartment thanks to a series of soft white screens. The floor plan thus comprises an entrance lobby /cloakroom, home office, living, master bedroom, dining/kitchen, three bedrooms and bathroom spaces.

The intervention is completed with vintage furniture and contemporary art from the personal collection of the two owners, both artists. “My approach is marked by an ethos for ‘less’, that is reflected in simplicity in life and in architecture, with influences from Japanese and Scandinavian design”. In this Norwegian apartment details are disappearing through bespoke design that was rigorously developed, tested in situ and engineered to obtain the right degree of translucency. The architectural insertions have been fabricated from powder coated recycled aluminium, opaque fabric and polyurethane lacquer.