# SABO Project Renovates Manhattan Apartment with Rounded Partitions A compact Lower East Side residence balances industrial materials with soft, rounded design elements. - **Source:** [Dezeen](https://www.dezeen.com) - **Published:** 2026-11-07 - **Topic:** [culture](https://brifing.si/c/culture) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/2197610c-39a6-4a16-88a7-a26ccc601868 ## Design Philosophy and Layout SABO Project redesigned a 728-square-foot Manhattan apartment to improve visual flow for a family of three. By rounding the corners of walls and partitions, the studio aimed to soften divisions between functional areas. The residence is now experienced as a central living room that extends seamlessly into surrounding alcoves and spaces. ## Industrial Aesthetic Integration The apartment retains an industrial character through exposed breeze-block walls, metal ductwork, and concrete ceilings. Polished concrete flooring complements these raw elements, creating a cohesive base. This rough materiality is intentionally balanced by the soft textures of bespoke curtains, fabric shades, and rugs, which add comfort to the urban living space. ## Strategic Use of Color A specific shade of mid-green serves as a unifying visual thread throughout the home. This color is applied to steel structural beams, lower kitchen cabinetry, curtains, and various artworks. The consistent palette helps tie the disparate functional zones together, creating a harmonious environment that feels both curated and intentionally connected. ## Living Area Features In the open-plan living room, a circular rug is mirrored by a white-painted circle on the ceiling. A minimalist light fixture crosses this ceiling feature, emphasizing the geometric theme. Along one wall, stacked concrete blocks with arch-shaped openings serve as both a functional bench and a display console for the residents. ## Indoor-Outdoor Sun Room A long bench extends from the main living area into an enclosed sun room. This space is shielded by light-filtering fabric and delicate steel mesh, providing a transition between interior and exterior. Accessed via sliding glass doors, the area features green outdoor furniture from the Bouroullec brothers' Palissade collection for additional seating. ## Bedroom and Bathroom Details The two bedrooms maintain the apartment's core material palette, utilizing stacked breeze blocks as nightstands. In the bathroom, white tiles with green grout create a gradient effect, becoming denser toward the ceiling. Rounded forms, including a lozenge-shaped mirror and a basin with filleted corners, reinforce the project's signature soft design language. ## Architectural Studio Background Founded by architect Alexandre Delaunay, SABO Project operates between New York and Paris. The firm specializes in residential, commercial, and cultural projects. Their previous work includes a Brooklyn loft with clustered storage and various Parisian apartments featuring space-saving stairs, peg-hole walls, and curved staircases, showcasing a consistent interest in geometric experimentation. ## Impact of Spatial Softening The renovation demonstrates how small urban dwellings can feel more expansive through thoughtful architectural interventions. By replacing sharp corners with rounded partitions, the design successfully mitigates the feeling of confinement in a compact footprint. This approach highlights the studio's ability to blend industrial structural elements with human-centric, fluid interior forms. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.dezeen.com/2026/11/07/sabo-project-soft-divisions-apartment-renovation-lower-east-side/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._