VoltarThe project involved an open-plan loft in downtown Madrid, built late in the 20th century with a structure of loadbearing walls, timber pillars, and Catalan vaults. It was renovated with the idea of building a house within a house. That is, the new dwelling would have its own structure, enclosures, and MEP/HVAC installations, making the process more like raising a new detached house altogether than like renovating an interior.
Slabs at different heights would accommodate the different uses required by the program, upstairs and downstairs alike. Holding the slabs in place is a frame that sometimes touches the floor and at other times hangs from the ceiling.
The components were to be as slender as possible, so the architects used white-lacquered 8x8cm metal profiles, and all installations are hidden inside them. The other materials – bare brick for loadbearing walls, transparent glass, frosted glass, and microcement – were selected to imitate the preexisting pinewood floors and the white walls.
