Platform on architecture, interior design and landscape architecture
In the heart of Stockholm, in the historic Old Town, architect Ingrid Reppen (REPPEN WARTIAINEN) realized an exceptional apartment. Project Pegasus is not a renovation, but a sculptural study of light, movement and material. FritsJurgens' systems were indispensable here, to literally and figuratively push the boundaries of space and technology.
The client fell in love with Sweden. For him, Reppen designed a second home, modifying both the exterior and interior. The architecture of the penthouse is as thoughtful as it is expressive. There are hardly any straight lines; everything bends, flows, moves. “I don't like tight corners,” Reppen says. “They make spaces smaller and the acoustics unsettled. Flowing lines create tranquility and natural movement.”
The floor plan is open. Yet functions such as entrance, living room and bathroom can be separated as desired by multiple curved pivoting doors that disappear completely into the walls. “In Sweden, the entrance is often a small, enclosed space for shoes and coats. I wanted to involve that more with the living area.” That called for a subtle separation of functions, without a physical barrier. The solution came in the form of these doors, which are barely visible.
For this precision, a standard door system was inadequate. Reppen chose System M+ from FritsJurgens, a self-closing pivot mechanism that is fully integrated into the door. “Doors are not an addition here, but part of the architecture,” she explains. “FritsJurgens” systems allowed us to create curved doors that follow the line of the wall exactly. With no visible frames, no disruption." The doors are not just passages, but form entire walls that can open and close. The location offered additional challenges: for example, an opening had to be made in the ceiling to straighten the doors.
In addition, precision and customization were essential because walls and ceiling were not exactly straight in some areas. “With System M+, it was possible to match the doors perfectly to the flowing walls, without major structural modifications. Two 8-millimeter drill holes in the floor were sufficient, even with underfloor heating.”
The secret is in its simplicity. System M+ combines hydraulic opening damping with adjustable closing damping (soft close). This ensures a smooth, controlled movement. Even heavy door leaves of up to 500 kilograms move effortlessly. The entire technology (hinge, damping and shaft) is completely incorporated into the door. Nothing is visible on the floor or ceiling.
“Many people think such a system cannot possibly be stable with such minimal installation,” says Jeroen Iemhoff, FritsJurgens project manager. “But the pressure is evenly distributed over the floor plate.”
For Reppen, that meant freedom. No restrictions in height, width or material. “I was able to let the doors move with the movement of the wall, finished high-gloss white so they reflect the light from the light lines in the ceiling. They almost disappear, but you feel their presence in the way the space opens and closes.”
The arched doors are part of a larger sculptural whole, in which the bookcase staircase, fireplace and diagonally laid limestone floor also reinforce each other. Reppen plays with contrasts, horizontal lines and light to articulate movement through the home.
Looking back, Reppen calls Project Pegasus one of her most intensive, but also most satisfying projects. “I don't like to repeat myself, but this design remains special. Everything had to be right, from the flowing lines to the smallest technical details. Verticality was hardly possible here, so I put all the emphasis on horizontality and flow. It required a lot of drawing and patience, but the result feels natural. As if the interior was always meant to be this way.”
