Malet
The project involves the rehabilitation of a house located between party walls in a private passage in the El Clot neighborhood of Barcelona, one of the few such passages still preserved in the city. It is a single-story house built in the 19th century, which was in very poor condition. The intervention aimed to restore its original essence through the use of traditional materials and techniques while incorporating contemporary solutions to improve its functionality.
From the outside, the façade retains its original composition, restored with lime mortar to recover the building’s classic appearance. At the lower section, tiles have been installed following the traditional technique of the time, protecting the most exposed areas from moisture and wear. The upper railing has been handcrafted, with bricks placed one by one to form a lattice structure.
Inside, the spatial organization is structured through different built elements, with the minimum necessary partitions. The proposal responds to the need to define the space without enclosing it—delimiting without closing, organizing without imposing. Thus, the empty space becomes the main element of the intervention, establishing a dialogue between the old and the contemporary. Original elements have been preserved, such as exposed brick walls treated with lime to maintain their porosity and texture, while classic materials like ceramic tiles have been incorporated as a unifying thread throughout the project. At the same time, contrast is introduced through the stainless steel kitchen, which has an industrial character.
One of the main challenges of the project was maximizing natural light, as the entire interior program is developed on the ground floor. To achieve this, a skylight was opened in the roof, allowing zenithal light to flood the large empty volume.
Additionally, a glass block wall was used in the bathroom to filter light while maintaining privacy, and existing openings in the façades were enlarged, including the main glass door. The intervention highlights the relationship between emptiness, materiality, and light through a thoughtful selection of construction elements. All of this results in a project that enhances the identity of the passage and reinforces its uniqueness within the urban fabric of Barcelona.
