Page 99 - AIT0722_E-Paper

Entwurf • Design Estudio Gonzalo del Val, ES-Madrid
Axonometrie Badezimmer • Axonometry Bathroom
Axonometrie Küche und Wohnzimmer • Axonometry Kitchen Grundriss • Floor plan mosphere. A small space providing a whole lot of room!
Bauherr • Client Privat
Standort • Location Lavapies, ES-Madrid
Nutzfläche • Floor space 70 m 2
Fotos • Photos José Hevi, ES-Barcelona
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 142
THREE PIECES
APARTMENT IN MADRID
After a long time spent abroad and of commuting bet-
ween New York and Puerto Rico, the owner of two holi-
day apartments was drawn back to her native country.
After an absence of eleven years, the Spanish capital
was to become her long-term home. This is thanks to re-
mote work being a new matter of fact! For the planned
restart, she enlisted the help of Estudio Gonzalo del Val.
S uch a lot has been turned topsy-turvy in the course of the past two
years! Our homes, the work environment, the way we are commu-
nicating – things which before had seemed to be set in stone had to be
newly arranged. Those who were easily able to do so moved from the
open-plan office into the home office no matter where in the world this
might be located. (Business) trips were cancelled completely. Rethinking
was definitely called for! This also affected the owners of properties for
tourist purposes in formerly popular holiday regions. What to do: to sell,
to hold out or to use them in an entirely different way? For the owner of
two small holiday flats in the Madrid district of Lavapiés, these situatio-
nal changes resulted in a resolute decision: Two holiday flats with kit-
chenettes, bathrooms and bedrooms where turned into a large resi-
dential unit for her own use! On 70 square metres, the former globetrot-
ter now has a lasting home. No effort was spared when it comes to
trendy colours and room for guests from all over the world. Estudio Gon-
zalo del Val and Toni Gelabert developed clever solutions for the new,
rather awkward layout which lacks daylight in its depth and whose
shape indeed has to be seen as a challenge. A fundamental restructuring
was needed! The solution consisted in three inserted elements. Clearly
separated from each other by colour, they subdivide the apartment and
give it structure. Each object stands for a specific function in the flat. The
birchwood cube contains a kitchen unit with plenty of storage room and
a book shelf towards the living room. The passage zone with only little
daylight is designed like a stage: A structure tiled orange with a colour-
matched ceiling frames the dining area and the kitchen unit and, at the
same time, produces discretely separated, private premises. The third
element, a cube tiled yellow, ensures a sensible subdivision on just a mi-
nimal floor area. The shower, washbasin and wardrobe have been inte-
grated into the cube which, at the same time, serves to separate the gue-
stroom from the rest of the flat. Space-saving sliding doors ensure pri-
vacy. Each corner was cleverly used without producing a constricting at-
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