urban restart + kurt cleary insert pop-up bedroom into munich's cityscape

urban restart + kurt cleary insert pop-up bedroom into munich’s cityscape
(above: the temporary bedroom is made of 16 bathtubs)
all images courtesy of mathias kestel and kurt cleary

designed and built by lithuanian studio urban restart and scottish architec kurt cleary, ‘yellow submarine’ opened its doors to the public as one of 24 selected designs for shabby shabby apartments competition in munich this autumn. the competition was a social experiment that addressed social housing issues in the city, one that is part of the top ten rents in europe. however, it did not seek to resolve the problem. the goal was to despair debate and send the message that social housing should not be addressed with idea-less and mass produced design. vice-versa it should be approached with ingenuity and inventive solutions. 24 apartments were placed around munich’s public spaces and have been hosting tenants for a month creating a new whole micro society.

the continuous surface material creates the capsule looking apartment

‘yellow submarine’ is a playful intervention set at the edge of a public park, on the island of schwindinsel. the concept was defined by the capsule-looking shape and construction materials which reflect the theme of water. moreover, the chosen location, which seemed hidden from the people but at the same time at the heart of the city, emphasized the feeling of unexpected discovery.

tiny, toy-looking bedroom provides a cosy place to sleep and experience beautiful landscapes hidden in the city

the hotel room was built in seven days with a budget of 250 euros. low budget was an important part of competition requirements, which challenged to use mostly recycled and donated materials. 16 fiberglass bathtubs were re-purposed and became walls floors and ceilings for the room. washing machine doors let the light inside the bedroom and periscope allowed observation of the park and curious passers-by in the mornings. the modular timber structure was introduced to ease the transportation, as the structure was at first constructed at the workshop, then dismantled and installed on site. the shape of the bathtub formed a playful spatial atmosphere, as well as space for storage and artificial light at night.

morning view out

the shape of the bathtub offers an extra space for storage and light

view out the window of the apartment

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom