EBBA have recently completed an ambitious refurbishment to an apartment located in an old matchstick factory in East London. The project includes the complete overhaul of a double height space in the converted factory building, opening up and extending the mezzanine to provide a generous flexible apartment. The renovation sought to maximise the small footprint by lining the edges with joinery and storage, allowing for an open plan arrangement with vertical lines that could increase the sense of volume.

Propping up the extended floor is a large piece of furniture – working as structural joinery – in the form of a new stair entirely in timber with all of the elements left exposed, framing an intimate space beneath that will be used for dining. The slender skeletal framework of the stair helps to emphasise the height of the main living space while also acting as the support for a desk on the level above, offering a contemplative study space for working at home.