Claudio Silvestrin lives as he preaches: his East London apartment, visited by filmmaker Matthew Donaldson for the ‘In Residence’ series by NOWNESS, is a minimalist masterpiece, free of any physical clutter but filled instead with light, shadow and sculptural forms. The architect’s reductive, contemplative, near-ecclesiastical spaces can be found across the globe. He has designed beautiful residences from Moscow to Majorca, and currently on his drawing board is a Miami home for American rapper Kanye West.

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Silvestrin’s signatures are employed in his own home to full effect: the vertical is  emphasised in columns of material that lend the double height living space an air of classical structure; the horizontal is emphasised by a parapet that extends the length of the living space. Monolithic forms that refer to the ageless minimalism of world famous prehistoric monument Stonehenge and the Parthenon - the 2500-year old temple dedicated to the goddess Athena - are everywhere, while his use of materials such as stone and wood bring raw and harmonious results. Groceries and even an extensive library of philosophy are hidden behind panelled doors. Only the occasional (Hans) Wegner chair or (Alexander) Calder mobile breaks through the interior’s clean planes. “This is a space to reflect in,” says Silvestrin - one where guests quickly shed the hubbub of the London streets below and in which, he confesses, they always seem to linger a little longer than intended.

Next up, In Residence: Barnaba Fornasetti

To see more episodes from the series In Residence, click here.

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