Penthouse apartment in Barcelona
The project adressed an interior refurbishment of a penthouse built in the nineteen-sixties at the Poblesec neighbourhood in Barcelona.
The proposal wished to revert the initial features and constraints of the flat. This was over-fragmented in small rooms, lined with timber and fake joists on the ceiling, and, despite it being utterly exterior, very dark. Given that the owner lived alone in the flat, the privacy degrees between different spaces could be challenged seeking an increased sense of openness and new crossed views within de flat.
An elemental exercise was set: firstly all partitions within the flat would be cleared up, and lastly it would be furnished strategically. A repetitive collection of diaphragms, structures the space with a certain order, and provides the required storage and activity for each room.
The reading of the two main dimensions of the flat is reinforced to increase the perception of space and improve the views towards the cityscape. The absence of partitions allows the light to flow through all spaces avoiding the use of artificial light for most hours of day. The only exception within the penthouse is the bathroom, an introverted room with dim light where, by contrast, colour is used to enhance its interior condition and feel.
The project is constructed with a short material palette which reinforces the reading of the intervention strategy. White colour for the perimeter walls of the flat, grey-lacquered furniture, Carrara marble for either kitchen and bathroom tops, and an oak flooring in order to create a more confortable domestic space.
