Modern open space

material continuity and design transitions

A modern open space does not come simply from removing the walls. It is a spatial system in which functions, routes and visual relationships must remain legible even in the absence of clear-cut separations. The project must therefore build hierarchies, modulating openness, privacy, comfort and the possibility of interaction.

Inresidential, office and hospitality spaces,this approach responds to the demand for flexible spaces, capable of adapting to different uses over the course of the day and over time. Continuity must coexist with the recognizability of the individual areas, avoiding both fragmentation and the effect of a uniform space with no points of reference.

It is a balance that is central to the work of architects and interior designers, but it also affects a property’s ability to accommodate new configurations without invasive work. Surfaces, light, furniture and architectural details thus become tools for organizing functions, guiding routes and preserving the coherence of the whole even when the layout evolves.

Dividing an open space without walls means making the different functions recognizable without interrupting visual continuity and freedom of movement. Separation comes from the coordination of surfaces, furniture, light and lightweight elements, each able to introduce a different level of openness, orientation and privacy.

A first hierarchy can be entrusted to the materials. Variations in format, laying direction, tone or material appearance help to identify a work area, a conversation zone or a waiting space, provided that they follow the geometry of the room and the logic of the routes. A purely decorative change, on the other hand, risks fragmenting the surface and weakening the overall reading of the space.

A second hierarchy can be built through furniture and fitted elements. Double-sided bookcases, storage systems, seating and counters define intermediate thresholds, guide the flows and filter the sightlines without introducing permanent separations. Their non-structural nature also makes it easier to reconfigure the layout over time, while preserving the general framework of the space.

Light completes this organization. Diffused lighting supports the unity of the space, while spotlights, pendant fittings and variations in intensity highlight tables, desks, lounge areas and routes. When a more marked separation is required, glass walls, lightweight screens, technical curtains and sliding panels make it possible to control views, sound and access without compromising the perception of spaciousness.

Transitions between spaces are the points at which an open space reveals the quality of the project. They concern not only the passage from one function to another, but also the way in which scale, atmosphere, intensity of use and relationship with light change. They must therefore be defined together with the layout, the main routes and the sightlines, so that they do not become junctions resolved only at the construction stage.

Floor continuity is one of the most immediate tools for unifying a space. A coherent surface — large format floor tiles, rectified floor tiles laid with minimal joints — can expand the perception of the whole and make the connection between kitchen, living area, entrance and communal areas more fluid. This does not necessarily mean using a single effect or color: calibrated variations, compatible formats and coordinated surfaces make it possible to introduce differences while maintaining a legible relationship between the parts.

In this context, porcelain tile makes it possible to work on continuity through a wide variety of material effects, formats and finishes. The ability to coordinate floors, wall tiles and furnishing elements allows the same language to be extended to horizontal and vertical surfaces, building spaces that are unified but not undifferentiated.

The One Space approach by Atlas Concorde interprets this logic by relating ceramic surfaces and furniture within a coordinated system. Continuity therefore does not depend on the indiscriminate repetition of the same material, but on the dialogue between elements with different functions, all part of one and the same design identity.

Interior threshold design is not only about defining a junction line. When a change of surface has to be introduced, the transition point can align with an island, a screen, a suspended ceiling or a variation in the lighting, becoming part of the composition. Thicknesses, joints, laying direction and junctions must be assessed in a coordinated way: visual continuity also depends on the correct resolution of the technical details, starting with the use of rectified edge tiles.

Floor and wall tiles can thus take on complementary roles. A continuous base maintains unity, while a porcelain tilewall, a material backdrop or a clad volume identifies a function and introduces a focal point. In high-traffic settings, the selection of surfaces must also balance aesthetic result, intended use, required performance and management requirements, avoiding choices driven by image alone.

In residential and collective spaces, the open space must reconcile orientation, comfort and recognizability. Material continuity becomes effective when it makes the space easier to read, accompanies the flows and relates areas with different intensities of use.

A clear, reconfigurable layout also helps a property to adapt to different needs, limiting the need for structural alterations. The longevity of a space depends on the ability of its materials to support changes of use and updates over time, without requiring invasive work.

In residential spaces and, in particular, in open-plan kitchen and living room projects, the boundary between the two functions is not erased, but made legible through a coordinated direction of surfaces, volumes and light. Kitchen floor tiles design can entrust the underlying continuity to the surface, with the same modern living room floor tiles running through both areas, while the island, the fitted furniture or the variations in lighting introduce thresholds, guide the flows and modulate the relationship with the living area, without interrupting the unified perception of the space.

In the workplace, a continuous surface can connect the entrance, collaborative areas, offices and services, while material and compositional variations signal the main transitions. The Montana Business Center in Ljubljana shows how flooring can take part in defining the identity of a building.

In the atrium, light and dark marble effect porcelain tile surfaces create an interweaving pattern that is legible on a large scale; in the offices, other material languages maintain the overall register while adapting it to the characteristics of the different spaces. Surfaces thus become an element of connection between the horizontal development of the spaces and the verticality of the architecture.

The design value does not lie in absolute uniformity, but in the possibility of building a family of recognizable spaces.

In hospitality, lobbies, lounges, guest rooms and service areas must have specific characters while remaining part of the same experience. Palettes, surfaces and furniture can build a visual and perceptual continuity, while light and details introduce variations suited to the functions and to the different moments of a stay.

At the Doryssa Theorem Hotel, travertine effect porcelain tile is used in the common areas, the guest rooms and the bathrooms. The warm tone and the striated pattern define a coherent background, brought into relation with whites, blacks and woods. Floors, wall tiles and furnishing components thus take part in an integrated system, without erasing the character and function of the individual spaces.

A contemporary open space succeeds when continuity does not eliminate differences, but organizes them. Quality comes from the control of the transitions, from the match between surfaces and intended use, and from the ability of the space to adapt over time, while maintaining legibility, identity and coherence.