Šarkauskai Architecture Atelier has resurrected a tired apartment interior in Lithuania’s Vilnius Central Station District, bringing it firmly into the present. At just 38 square metres, 024 Apartment has been adapted to better represent contemporary living, maximising its small footprint through an open plan, light-filled scheme that makes the most of the humble space.

Upon entering, occupants find themselves standing in a gap between two volumes, compressed by the compact surroundings. Moving forward, walls open to reveal an airy space, lit by the sun pouring in from 3 large windows along the rear wall. This play with scale and compression allows architects to bring distinctively different spatial experiences to the design, successfully making the space feel bigger than it is.

Functional elements have all been pushed to one side, concealed within an angled wall that slices through the floor plate. The kitchen, boiler room, and bathroom all lie within this new vector, carefully placed to free as much floor space as possible.

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The apartment has been designed to be as flexible as possible – able to shapeshift with the transition from day to night. When pulled shut, a curtain divides part of the common space forming a private bedroom, allowing occupants to continually recreate the apartment’s layout to suit their changing requirements.

The colour palette is restrained and extremely minimal. Light-grained timber and clean white finishes are, however, momentarily disrupted by slabs of terrazzo that cover the kitchen benchtops, window sills, and bathroom floor. The soft burgundy and olive-green tones found in the terrazzo made from collected stone waste bring a sense of warmth to the otherwise neutral space.

An organically shaped glass pendant designed by the owner pokes it’s head out of the ceiling bringing an unusual element to the design. Along with custom terrazzo touches, it’s peculiar shape further captures the owner’s creative, ambitious, and courageous personality.

[Images courtesy of ŠA Atelier. Photography by Darius Petrulaitis.]