Penthouse West399

Discovering opportunities The architects saw huge potential in the neglected 1968 design by J.W.C. Boks and set their hearts on transforming it. With an eye to living at the top of the building, with its wonderful views of the Rotterdam skyline, the couple bought and converted the structure into a sleek residential building with their spectacular family penthouse. An adventurous home During the renovation, the original beauty of the interior was revealed, complete with lofty high ceilings, round columns and mahogany-framed strip windows. The exceptionally rich palette of materials was restored to its former glory: warm brickwork outside, with slate, travertine and solid hardwood inside. Rich materials and high-quality detailing similarly define the penthouse apartment comprising a one-layer new-build glass-box on the roof surrounded by a roof-garden and a portion of the existing building below that roots it in the original structure. Framing the view The two floors are linked by a spiral staircase, leading to the glass-walled living room with jaw-dropping views of the city of Rotterdam. The penthouse façade is the largest load-bearing glass façade in north-west Europe. Its roof is anchored by steel cables concealed in the joints between the glass sections. The glass is set at an oblique angle for strength enhancement. A generous overhang provides shade. Inspired by its post-war architecture The indoor spaces, behind a travertine façade, offer greater intimacy. American walnut covers the music room and features a large circular window with views over the harbor. The kitchen palette of materials is sumptuous with mahogany wood, red travertine, matt gold resin and green serpentine stone. The bathroom is entirely covered in travertine. The lower level, in the original building, the three children’s rooms are treated as autonomous furniture in space, clad in American walnut. The carefully curated artworks create an integrated experience of space.