folded yellow volume reorganizes genova apartment’s interiors like a game of tetris

bump turns a fragmented apartment into a flexible living space

Tetris is a residential renovation project by bump studio that transforms a fragmented apartment in Genova, Italy, into a flexible living environment through color, geometry, and custom-designed elements. The project reorganizes the existing layout with a series of interconnected spaces, centered around a sculptural yellow volume that defines circulation, storage, and spatial relationships throughout the home.

Before the renovation, the apartment was characterized by a series of irregular rooms arranged around a central corridor, a configuration that limited flexibility and no longer reflected contemporary patterns of living. The redesign replaces this fragmented arrangement with an open-plan living area conceived as a continuous and adaptable space. At the center of the new layout, a custom yellow architectural element separates the living area from the kitchen while also restructuring the geometry of the apartment. Its folded form responds to the existing non-parallel walls, creating a connection between previously disconnected spaces. One side of the volume integrates storage functions, including a wardrobe and entrance console, while also concealing access to the private areas of the home. The opposite side, suspended from an existing beam, becomes an open shelving system incorporating a curtain in the same yellow tone. This textile layer functions as a flexible backdrop, allowing the perception of space, privacy, and light to change throughout the day. A yellow resin strip embedded in the floor extends the geometry of the volume and reinforces its role as a threshold between different areas of the apartment.

all images by Enrico Massetani

Colors, volumes, and materials interlock like pieces of Tetris

Behind the curtain, the kitchen is defined by a central island finished in sodalite blue. Its projecting geometric form establishes the focal point of the room while integrating functional elements including the sink, dishwasher, and a cantilevered snack counter. The reflective surface interacts with changing natural light, adding depth to the compact space. In contrast, the kitchen units along the rear wall adopt a restrained material and color palette, with minimal surfaces, no overhead cabinets, and a continuous shelf that combines display and task lighting. A concealed door within the yellow volume leads to the circulation area connecting the bedrooms, bathroom, and service spaces. The master bedroom introduces a contrasting ottanio green element through a lowered walk-in wardrobe positioned beneath the existing ceiling decorations. The same color continues behind the bed, forming an integrated headboard surface. A circular opening allows natural light to pass between the bedroom and dressing area, while matching curtains provide the option to fully separate the spaces and create a more enclosed atmosphere. In the bathroom, the design addresses the apartment’s irregular geometry through a newly defined back wall containing two recessed niches for the washbasin and shower. Different finishes create contrast between the two cavities, while horizontal resin surfaces at varying heights form the countertop and shower base, reinforcing the project’s emphasis on layered geometric relationships.

Through the combination of color, custom furniture, and spatial interventions, Tetris by bump studio reorganizes a complex apartment into a coherent architectural system. Similar to the logic of the game after which it is named, each element is positioned within a larger composition where volumes, functions, and materials interlock to shape a contemporary domestic environment.

Tetris transforms a fragmented apartment into a flexible living environment

bump studio reorganizes the home through color, geometry, and custom elements

a sculptural yellow volume becomes the central organizing device of the interior

a sodalite blue kitchen island defines the heart of the home

the folded yellow structure connects previously disconnected spaces

colors, volumes, and materials interlock like pieces of a spatial Tetris

custom furniture reshapes the apartment’s irregular geometry

the wardrobe volume integrates recessed open shelves

minimal kitchen units contrast with the sculptural central element

ottanio green elements create a distinct spatial layer in the bedroom

curtains transform the walk-in wardrobe into an independent space

bathroom niches reinterpret Tetris apartment’s original irregular geometry

project info:

name: Tetris
architect: bump studio | @bumpstudio.it

lead architects: Arch. Giulio Massetani, Arch. Fabio Filippo
location: Genova, Italy

photographer: Enrico Massetani | @enrico_masse