The Room on the Roof by i29 Architects

Located in Amsterdam's Dam Square, the De Bijenkorf department store was first built in 1909 as a gorgeously cresselated neo-gothic structure pierced by a distinctive central turret. Since it was built, that tower has been mostly for show, but thanks to a partnership between the interior architects i29 and the nearby Rijksmuseum, De Bijenkorf is now turning the tower into a beautiful design haven. Called the Room on the Roof, the De Bijenkorf tower has been transformed into a bright, modern design studio, complete with a kitchen, a day bed, a sitting room, and a telescope. via

"The biggest challenge of designing the space was simply the size of the floor area: just 16 square meters," i29 directors Jaspar Jansen and Jeroen Dellensen told me by email. "That was one of the reasons why we ended up with a vertical installation, which creates a 'living cabinet' that allows artists-in-residence to experience the tower on different levels."