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Plan Study: A 1970s Apartment in Oberkampf, Paris, Reconfigured by Saba Ghorbanalinejad

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Architecture & InteriorsIssue — The New French

Plan Study: A 1970s Apartment in Oberkampf, Paris, Reconfigured by Saba Ghorbanalinejad

April 13, 2026

Paris-based Iranian architect Saba Ghorbanalinejad has a way with difficult plans. Her work centers on transforming misconfigured spaces into functional interiors with the innovative quality of twentieth-century Modernism. Case in point: the complete renovation of a 65-square-meter apartment in a 1970s building in Paris’s 11th arrondissement. The original layout, typical of the era, strictly separated day and night areas. Ghorbanalinejad reconfigured the space as two openings carved around a central core: “a nucleus which organizes circulation and allows light to flow freely from one façade to the other.”

Completed in November of 2025 after a tidy nine-month renovation, the apartment was designed for a young couple—a book publisher and an engineer—and their baby. With a refined eye for architecture and materials, the clients were well matched with Ghorbanalinejad, who developed a considered palette of waxed concrete, stainless steel, and Okoumé wood. Join us for a tour.

Photography by Mary Gaudin for Saba Ghorbanalinejad.

the ninth floor apartment opens into an expansive kitchen, dining, and living s 17
Above: The ninth-floor apartment opens into an expansive kitchen, dining, and living space, with views over the rooftops Oberkampf.
the kitchen island conceived as a sculptural object, designed by ghorbanalineja 18
Above: The kitchen island conceived as a sculptural object, designed by Ghorbanalinejad and fabricated by Framaco, with an integrated Bosch cooktop. “The goal was to make the island feel as light and sculptural as possible, rather than a heavy, traditional centerpiece,” Ghorbanalinejad explains. “The integrated lamp accentuates this sense of lightness, enhancing the island’s sculptural quality.”
the lamp is a joe colombo spider arc lamp from \1967. the cabinets are okoumé 19
Above: The lamp is a Joe Colombo Spider Arc Lamp from 1967. The cabinets are Okoumé wood, chosen for its grain; the wall oven is by Sauter.
paint was stripped from sections of walls and ceiling, leaving the original con 20
Above: Paint was stripped from sections of walls and ceiling, leaving the original concrete partially exposed. In the kitchen, it is paired with glass shelving and a custom stainless steel element, fabricated by Framaco.
the wall lamp is a vintage murano glass sconce. 21
Above: The wall lamp is a vintage Murano glass sconce.
the faucet is the dornbracht tara wall mounted mixer. 22
Above: The faucet is the Dornbracht Tara Wall-Mounted Mixer.
two openings lead to separate bedrooms—a main bedroom and children&#8\2\1 23
Above: Two openings lead to separate bedrooms—a main bedroom and children’s room. Books play a central role in daily life, and a full-height library wall structures the living area. Two Murano glass fixtures are installed above each entry.
bedrooms are closed off with custom pocket doors in pale blue. 24
Above: Bedrooms are closed off with custom pocket doors in pale blue.
when the living and bathroom doors are closed on the children&#8\2\17;s sid 25
Above: When the living and bathroom doors are closed on the children’s side, the main bedroom transforms into a suite complete with private dressing area and exclusive access to the bathroom.
closet hardware, the godric furniture handle in matte nickel, tempers the moder 26
Above: Closet hardware, the Godric Furniture Handle in matte nickel, tempers the modern design with an organic shape.
the bathroom is designed as a through space with dual access. the devon & d 27
Above: The bathroom is designed as a through-space with dual access. The Devon & Devon Nobel Basin with Axor faucet is positioned as a central element, framed by two recessed lamps.
simple niches house led lighting behind textured glass. the walls are finished 28
Above: Simple niches house LED lighting behind textured glass. The walls are finished in waxed concrete.
the reverse side of the shower wall. 29
Above: The reverse side of the shower wall.
a view of the double doors closed off to the children&#8\2\17;s side. 30
Above: A view of the double doors closed off to the children’s side.
saba ghorbanalinejad stands in the oberkampf apartment kitchen. 31
Above: Saba Ghorbanalinejad stands in the Oberkampf apartment kitchen.
the starting layout left over from the \1970s. 32
Above: The starting layout left over from the 1970s.
the architectural plans show the transformation with the through space bathroom 33
Above: The architectural plans show the transformation with the through-space bathroom at center.

For more of Saba’s work, see our previous posts:

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