Munich on Top: Holzrausch Studio rethinks openness and intimacy in a penthouse above the Bavarian capital

Perched above Munich, Munich on Top is a minimalist penthouse apartment designed by Holzrausch Studio that confronts a familiar dilemma of contemporary urban living. How can a large, fully glazed dwelling retain a sense of spatial generosity without sacrificing privacy and intimacy. Spanning nearly 300 square meters and wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows, the apartment commands sweeping views across the city and toward the Alps, a panorama the architects were determined not to fragment through conventional room partitions.

Rather than dividing the plan into fixed enclosures, Holzrausch introduced a single architectural gesture that defines the entire project. At the center of the apartment stands a monumental wooden core, conceived simultaneously as spatial organizer, circulation device, and inhabitable furniture. This vertical timber volume houses the apartment’s functional infrastructure while allowing the surrounding spaces to remain fluid and continuous. From this core, movement unfolds in a loop, encouraging a non-hierarchical experience of the interior that aligns with the expansive horizon beyond the glass.

A SPATIAL DEVICE RATHER THAN A FIXED PLAN

The wooden core embodies Holzrausch Studio’s integrated design-and-fabrication approach, developed through close collaboration between architectural conception and in-house workshop craftsmanship. Sliding panels embedded within the structure allow rooms to open fully into one another or close off as needed, enabling the apartment to oscillate between total openness and carefully controlled enclosure. Visual continuity is preserved even when spaces are separated, ensuring that light, views, and material coherence remain uninterrupted.

This strategy resonates with Japanese spatial thinking, where architecture is often understood as a framework for potential rather than a rigid program. In Munich on Top, however, this conceptual lineage is translated through European craft traditions and material precision. The result is a living environment that adapts to daily rituals, social gatherings, and moments of retreat without altering its fundamental spatial clarity.

MATERIAL RESTRAINT AND SURFACE INTELLIGENCE

The interior palette is deliberately restrained, verging on austerity, yet rich in tactile nuance. Travertine floors establish a calm, mineral base, complemented by oak veneer surfaces that lend warmth to the otherwise minimal composition. Wachenzeller Dolomit, a German limestone characterized by subtle veining, appears in both the bar and the bathroom washbasins, reinforcing material continuity across the apartment.

The bar occupies a privileged position facing the most dramatic view, transforming everyday domestic use into a contemplative experience of the landscape. Its stainless steel fronts are finished with a swirl technique that softly captures and diffuses light, adding depth without introducing visual distraction. This sensitivity to surface treatment extends throughout the apartment, from brushed stainless steel details to the earthy texture of Matteo Brioni plaster walls. Together, these elements create a tonal cohesion that allows the surrounding cityscape and distant mountains to remain the true protagonists.

LIGHT, PRIVACY, AND FLEXIBILITY

The master bathroom exemplifies Holzrausch Studio’s nuanced handling of light and privacy. Positioned between two bedrooms, it incorporates sliding panels that regulate transparency and daylight penetration deep into the floor plan. This configuration challenges the conventional isolation of bathrooms in open-plan apartments, which are often relegated to dark, inward-facing zones. Here, natural light permeates the space while privacy remains fully controllable, transforming a technical solution into a defining spatial experience.

Throughout Munich on Top, architecture operates less as a static container and more as an adaptive system. By merging furniture, circulation, and enclosure into a single wooden core, Holzrausch Studio demonstrates how minimalism can be both generous and intimate. The project stands as a refined example of contemporary apartment design, where flexibility, craftsmanship, and landscape awareness converge to redefine luxury living in the urban context of Munich.

PROJECT CREDIT

Project Name: Munich on Top
Location: Munich, Germany
Designer: Holzrausch Studio / @holzrausch_official
Photo: Salva López