Apartment Renovation in Vallirana Street
Remodeling of an attic loft within a building built in 1970, in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district in Barcelona.
The original apartment, which was highly fragmented with small rooms and passageways, fits with the family structure of its time. We established three objectives: the first to create as much space as possible by eliminating all types of passage space and conventional doors; to allow natural light to access the central area of the apartment; and to balance economic matters while not undermining material quality.
Remodeling of an attic loft within a building built in 1970, in the neighborhood of Putxet and El Farró, in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district in Barcelona.
The original apartment, which was highly fragmented with small rooms and passageways, fits with the family structure of its time. Unfortunately, this brought about disjointedness and little natural light in the inner part of the home.
The assignment came about from a friend who needed an apartment for one person, with the option of having short visits for intermittent periods of time.
Once the premises were examined, three objectives were established: the first to create as much space as possible by eliminating all types of passage space and conventional doors; to allow natural light to access the central area of the apartment; and to balance economic matters while not undermining material quality.
These goals are obtained through a system of three large sliding walls that split the space according to the needs of the user, thereby obtaining a single living space from one or two separable rooms and keeping the bathroom space as the only fully enclosed space.
These mobile panels were the experimental core of the project. Firstly, they were required to be economically viable due to a tight budget; and secondly, they had to confer a certain degree of visual complexity in the space.
This complexity is obtained through the lining of its surface. Mirrors are strategically located to gain depth in the space, to reflect the light in the central space, and to fully utilize the wardrobe areas.
The interplay of reflections and the abstraction point they offer changes as the user moves them in position in order to configure their personal space. In addition, the reflection of the parquet floor in the mirrors, which features a diagonal arrangement, creates a visually captivating spike formation.
Materially, the project is in balance between the neutrality provided by white tones, such as by the painted walls, the exterior carpentry and lacquered furniture. This is contrasted by the warmth conferred by earthy tonal materials such as natural wood on the floor and panels frames, or by the 20x20 clay tiles in the bathroom.
