Panel apartment renovation | Viktor Csap

Some people say the panel apartment has no chance to change... In 2008 a well-off diplomat couple assigned Viktor Csap, a young interior designer, who is responsive to trends with a special task. They wanted to have their 70 square meter apartment on the sixth floor of a block of flats redesigned and their only request was that eventually the new interior should not bear any resemblance to the typical interiors of the apartments in a block of flats. The overal cost of the project was 13 million forints (approximately 45.600 euros) and the design altogether with the execution of the project took no more than six months. The result was a spacious apartment that almost functions as a penthouse. All the partition walls were eliminated through the work, and only the load-bearing walls remained. As an interesting experiment, the texture of bare concrete was kept, the balcony got covered with wood and the precast wall panel unit containing the balcony door and the windows was replaced with a glass wall that doubles as a sliding door. Removing the divider between the bedroom and the living room creates a large, transparent and airy space that one cannot find in typical block of flats apartments. Of course some residents in the building were not so happy about this reconstruction work. But when the couple, as part of the reconstruction work, had the linoleum floor renewed, the light switches changed and the walls painted in the hallway at their own expense, the residents realized that it is also their shared responsibility to get the common space around them in order. So as a first step they tidied up in front of their door and changed their shabby doormats. The conclusion seems to be obvious and logical: high-quality lifestyle in a block of flats is not a thing of the past. Not, if it becomes attractive for the more wealthy population who can afford to renew and upgrade spaces through which they also gradually improve the environment around them. In this process increasing energy efficiency and making use of the roof possibly for the community’s benefit are of key importance. The panel housing made in concrete house factory, what means the elements has at least one smooth concrete surface. This is what we want to produce now days, for loads of money. In this case we just cleaned the ceiling, and we got the concrete surface. 70 m2 panel apartment. This project is meant to show the possibility of the panel apartments. During the design progress the main program of the flat had been changed. All the fixed and mobile furniture designed by Viktor Csap. The construction and the furniture production is managed by Viktor Csap.