Contents
vii
Foreword
xi
Introduction
1
Bowery Penthouse
17
Chinatown Loft
31
Park Avenue Apartment
51
Central Park Pied-à-Terre
63
Soho Loft
81
Greenwich Village Pied-à-Terre
99
Upper West Side Apartment
117
Brooklyn Terrace
127
Upper West Side Pied-à-Terre
135
Tribeca Loft
155
Upper East Side Residence
181
Tribeca Apartment
195
Miami Beach Townhouse
Introduction
A pied à terre is a place of physical and emotional comfort. Who doesn’t dream of one? The pied-à-terre embodies a feeling of luxurious simplicity, harmony, and relaxation. More than a second lodging, it is a familiar and intimate place where one gets in touch with self. The expression pied-à-terre comes from Latin and means “foot on the ground.” Each project realized by Magdalena Keck is inspired by the very essence of dwelling. In her holistic approach, she searches for a balance of proportions, forms, and colors. She learns from and respects the inherent character of spaces, and from there builds the physical context. The inclusion and placement of each component is as necessary as the whole, and the inhabitant is an equal part. Magdalena uses materials that enrich the experience of the occupants. She studies how light enters the space, and allows it to sculpt the interior through the placement of opaque and translucent surfaces, through the placement of openings, through the presence of the resulting highlights and shadows. Spaces are organized accordingly, the light is directed, absorbed and reflected, filtered and shielded—all following the functional consideration of the occupant’s lifestyle—enriching the way materials and forms are perceived. These vital ingredients bring the spaces to life. The inhabitant is an equal part. The decision-making process is contextual and emotional. Magdalena builds spaces that people feel a part of; the atmosphere is always of belonging. She trusts the experience of the space and the owner and makes this visible by focusing on details. Obsessed with reason and consistency, Magdalena recognizes when to relax principles and navigate by intuition.
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