A young art dealer has fulfilled his dream of open living in Graz's old town. In "Raphael's Refuge" with a view over the rooftops of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, you will look in vain for classic walls. The extraordinary loft unfolds in all directions – from left to right, from bottom to top, and even from inside to outside. This was made possible by the fluid design concept of the Graz-based architectural firm LOVE Architecture and a client who is not afraid of spatial expansiveness and creative freedom.

Giving free rein to creativity – this attitude to life accompanies the young art dealer through everyday life in his new home without walls. His new "refuge" is an apartment and art gallery in one. Freestanding, sculptural-looking pieces of furniture with high aesthetic standards structure the partially two-story space with a recessed gallery. They are more reminiscent of works of art in a gallery than of functional everyday objects. Only a heavy curtain that winds through the loft in waves creates private zones if necessary. It not only acts as a privacy screen, but above all supports the room acoustics.

The open one-room concept arose from the spatial conditions of the existing building, which LOVE Architecture deliberately developed further, as any subdivision would have weakened the desired loft character. The 224 m² apartment is located on the top floor of an extended old building in Graz city centre. In 2018, the historic building was extended in timber construction as part of a renovation.

To continue the concept of open space into the outdoor area, the existing post-and-bolt facade was remodeled taking into account the static conditions of the existing building and opened up over a large area with two Bi-folding doors from Solarlux. "Our goal was to make the loft as limitless and open as possible," he explains. "On warm days, a single, continuous room was to be created, while on cooler days, it was important to maintain optimal visibility."

Bi-foldings offered the perfect solution for this: Unlike classic sliding doors, their elements can be folded completely to the side to form a narrow glass package, creating a seamless transition. This effect is increased by a microcement floor that extends across all surfaces. The folding systems "park" on the balcony in Graz to save space.

The individual glass elements of the folding walls should be up to 1.30 meters wide and at the same time appear delicate, which is why the Megaline system from Solarlux was chosen. It enables element heights of up to 4.5 meters or widths of up to 1.5 meters, without compromising on free movement and ease of use. Despite these dimensions, the sight line at the panel butt joint is only 132.5 millimeters. A barrier-free variant with a 14-millimeter rebate with additional aluminium impact protection was used as the floor track.

Sometimes it takes a courageous builder to consistently implement architectural ideas down to the last detail. LOVE Architecture found such a solution in the young art dealer. The room concept, which is open in all directions, is created by deliberately dispensing with rigid boundaries, such as walls, ceilings, floor coverings, or usage zones. Even the green bed continues through the glass front onto the balcony. The generously dimensioned bi-foldings emphasise the seamless transition between the living space and the terrace, making the idea of open living tangible.