Fascinating Black Pearl House Renovation in Rotterdam

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In Rotterdam, there is a program where you can buy abandoned buildings for cheap if you promise to renovate them into single family homes. So Rolf decided to buy one to convert into his home and studio.

The three story 100 year old rowhouse was gutted completely, leaving a hollow shell with ghosts of it’s past like an old banister and holes of wooden floor beams in the walls.

Then, in the center a large wooden sculpture was constructed to create two levels, space for ducts and pipes and various staircases that lead up to the roof.

Named the Black Pearl due to its ominous black exterior, the home leaves behind its old windows, but adds new window boxes to let in light.

Handrails, banisters and balustrades are absent from this home, which helps lend the interior its Escher like qualities. Stairs melt into the ceilings and walls, while holes in the floor confuse the eye.

The bottom floor is space for Rolf’s workshop that leads into a backyard with a bamboo garden. The second story provides space for the kitchen and living room and the third floor is a master bedroom. The rooftop greenhouse is used to house a jacuzzi with views of the city.

source: inhabitat, rolf, zecc, fastcodesign