Minimalistic apartment interior with large glass doors and white walls.

A minimalistic apartment interior with large sliding glass doors, white walls, and a light-colored floor. The space is open and extends towards a terrace, with a series of vertical panels on one side.

Minimalist interior with glass door leading to terrace, pale floor and ceiling, black accents on walls, and ceiling light fixtures.
Minimalist interior with light-colored floor and walls, leading to a terrace with a metallic canopy.
Interior view of a minimalist space with glass doors opening to a terrace with a round structure and metal canopy.
Building facade with large windows and a perforated metal canopy above, with clothes hanging on a line.
Minimalist apartment interior with white walls, blue accents, and a view towards a terrace.
Minimalist interior with white walls, blue accents, light floor, and glass door leading outside.
Minimalist interior with white walls, ceiling, and polished floor leading to a glass door.
Minimalist interior with white walls, circular black fixtures, and a light-colored floor.
Interior corner with black and white marble around a doorway and a small light fixture on the ceiling.
Interior corner with black marble surfaces and a white ceiling.
Metallic cloud-shaped structure on a pole with a clear sky and building wall in the background.
Minimalist terrace featuring a round tub and a metallic canopy structure, with a cityscape in the background at dusk.
Silhouette of a cloud-shaped metallic structure with a grid pattern against a twilight sky.
Building exterior with balconies and metal railings.
Interior view showing a minimalist design with a pale blue ceiling, white walls, a pink round table, and a dark blue chair.
Minimalist interior design featuring pale blue ceiling, white walls, and speckled flooring with a dark chair and pink table.
Architectural floor plan with a long rectangular shape and a circular pattern on one end.
Section drawing showing a building with a stepped wall and terrace.
Digital rendering of a corridor with grid layout and canopy structure.
Digital architectural model of a stepped apartment with a terrace, featuring transparent walls and a grid pattern floor.

Story

A minimalist apartment in Vila Nova de Gaia, defined by a stepped wall and a cloud-shaped terrace canopy. In Vila Nova de Gaia, the Stepped Wall Apartment by fala is a study in spatial economy and material restraint. The design reduces the apartment to its perimeter, punctuated by a singular architectural gesture: a stepped wall that delineates the living area from a series of secondary rooms. This wall transforms the space into a diagrammatic layout, with an expansive open room on one side and a compact sequence of functional spaces on the other. The living area extends towards a terrace, where the project reaches its crescendo. Here, a metallic pole supports a light canopy, casting intricate patterns of shade reminiscent of Itsuko Hasegawa’s delicate shading structures. This element serves as both a technical and surreal addition, transforming the terrace into a domestic stage rather than a mere outdoor extension. Inside, the material palette is intentionally sparse. White surfaces dominate, interrupted by subtle accents: fragments of black marble, mirrored planes, and vivid blue carpentry lines. The interior atmosphere is unified under a pale blue ceiling, creating a serene backdrop for the apartment’s precise architectural gestures, all oriented towards the unexpected presence of the cloud-shaped metallic tree on the terrace.

Design Highlights

Stepped wall dividing living space and secondary rooms Metallic pole and canopy on the terrace Minimalist material palette with white surfaces and blue accents Black marble and mirrored planes for subtle contrast Pale blue ceiling enhancing the interior atmosphere

Key Facts

Feature Detail
Location Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
Architect fala
Year 2025
Area 150m²
Key Material White surfaces, black marble, blue carpentry

Technical Summary

Finishes

  • wall finish: White surfaces with black marble accents and mirrored planes.
  • ceiling finish: Pale blue ceiling.

Materials

  • glass — Doors and windows.
  • metal — Canopy structure on the terrace.
  • marble — Interior accents.

Construction / Systems

  • structural system: The apartment features a stepped wall that divides the living space.

Products

  • Not specified

Palette / Lighting

  • Colors: white, black, pale blue, bright blue
  • Lighting: Minimalist and calm with small light fixtures.

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