Architect Massimiliano Malagò, in collaboration with Kathleen Pongrace, has reimagined domestic space through Literary narratives with the renovation of a Greenpoint apartment in New York. Driven by the challenges of city living—rising housing costs, limited space, and constant urban change—the project combines practicality with deeper reflections on urban life.
Literary inspiration behind design
The renovation drew from literary works to create a conceptual framework. Solvej Balle’s “On the Calculation of Volume I,” which explores cyclical routines, influenced ideas of time repeating itself in city life. Simone de Beauvoir’s “Tous les hommes sont mortels” introduced themes of permanence and change. These narratives guided the design of multifunctional furniture, drawing parallels between literature and urban continuity.
Functional and literary fused in furniture
Malagò and Pongrace developed furniture that marries function with conceptual design. Chairs blend ceramic tile, plywood, aluminum components, and bio-synthetic foam. The ceramic bases allude to New York’s architectural details, such as glazed terra-cotta facades and subway tiles, ensuring durability and practicality, including resilience against Pongrace’s cat.
Balancing longevity and decay
The design highlights the tension between durable and ephemeral materials. Ceramics create a lasting foundation, while foam seating is crafted to wear over time, embodying the cycle of decay. A specific chair even incorporates a cavity for flowers, adding life and a temporal element to the design.
Integrated storage solutions
Storage is cleverly hidden within the furniture using compartments, metal brackets, and slide-in pockets, addressing spatial constraints typical of New York apartments. One chair pays homage to the architectural styles of Greenpoint and Williamsburg with seat openings for the client’s cat, merging function with comfort.
Reflecting urban living
Malagò’s project turns furniture into a medium for exploring the psychological and spatial realities of urban life. Through ceramic surfaces, layered materials, and integrated storage, the design ponders repetition, adaptation, and space negotiation within New York City. The project positions the apartment as a testament to surviving and thriving amid the spatial pressures of urban living. The growing focus on comfort in everyday design is also a key aspect, reflecting broader trends in making urban environments more livable.
Sources & Links
Source: designboom.com