Case Study

Reinventing an icon

Domus Arquitectura

Location

Madrid, Spain

Material

Silestone I Dekton

Color

Silestone Eternal Noir, Blanco Zeus, Charcoal Soapstone | Dekton Rem, Eter, Liquid Shell, Sirius

Quantity

Dekton REM 4 slabs; Reformulated Dekton REM 10 slabs; Dekron Liquid Shell 1 slab; Dekton Eter 6 slabs y 3 slabs (fireplace); Silestone Eternal Noir 14 slabs; Silestone Charcoal Soapstone 8 slabs.

Architecture/Design

Domus Arquitectura. Construction: Prodeco

Application

countertops, Cladding, Flooring, Furniture

End date

2021

Thickness

Dekton REM 20mm; Reformulated Dekton REM 8mm; Dekron Liquid Shell 1 8mm; Dekton Eter 8mm y 4mm (fireplace); Silestone Eternal Noir 12mm; Silestone Charcoal Soapstone 12mm.

Second life

The main challenge of this house is to dialogue with its own site, an iconic building of national architecture designed by the Catalan architect José Antonio Coderch in the mid-1960s. The Girasol building, on the corner of Madrid’s exclusive Ortega Gasset and Lagasca streets, is characterised by a masterful use of natural light. Each house rotates on its axis towards noon and this rotation is calculated according to the most favourable positions of the sun throughout the day and the different seasons of the year.

‘The owners – a young couple who live with their friendly beagle dog named Milka – wanted to respect its essence as much as possible, maintaining the brightness of the spaces, but with a larger and more continuous layout. They asked for the best quality and specially designed materials to be used, such as those by Cosentino. They were looking for modern and functional finishes, but at the same time they wanted to create a cosy space,’ explains Domus Arquitectura studio, in charge of giving this flat a second life.

‘The initial layout, typical of the period when it was build, was irregular, made up of suspended ceilings that reduced the usable heights and fragmented spaces that lost part of their potential. In addition, despite being a penthouse with two large terraces, there was no connection between inside and outside,’ the studio continues. The new layout solves these problems by focusing on attention to detail, elegance and uniqueness. A good example of this is the flooring, for which large-format reformulated Dekton Rem with fewer veins was used, thus achieving a unique finish that enhances the sense of continuity.

Coderch’s work as a source of inspiration

According to the architects, ‘The building itself has been a great source of inspiration for us. The light, the surrounding façade, the colours and materials, the exterior wooden latticework that surrounds and protects it, etc. We wanted all this to be reflected in the house in some way, bringing the essence of the original project to the present.’ This is the case of the entrance, where a wooden framework that emulates the construction detail of the exterior separates the hall from a work area and directs us towards the kitchen. In this area, the same tones blend seamlessly with the grey and gold veining of Dekton Rem to form a large island. The hardness of the material makes it possible to cut directly on it without the knife scratching it or to place a hot pan on it without the risk of burning it.

Next to the island, in the same open-plan space, is the dining and living area which in turn connects to one of the terraces. Neutral colours such as grey, blue and white stand out here, with hints of dark tones, such as the aforementioned wood or a Dekton Eter fireplace unit that gives a distinctive look to the whole space. ‘We have worked with both Silestone and Dekton in different models, using them for applications in which everyone is more or less used to seeing and using them, such as flooring, bathrooms and countertops. But also, using them for unique custom-made features that match them, such as the fireplace itself, the flower beds…’ They are materials with almost endless possibilities.’

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‘Cosentino materials have demonstrated a versatility that few can offer. In short, they have substantially improved the project we prepared.’

Domus Arquitectura

Small works of art

Perhaps one of the most impressive uses of Dekton in this home is the headboard in the guest bedroom, where the Liquid Shell colour becomes a kind of bas-relief with a warm, silky feel that is made even more striking with careful LED lighting.

Something similar occurs with the two Silestone Eternal Noir columns that frame the master bedroom and connect the range of light colours that characterise the public area and the dark tones that dominate the bathrooms, which are made entirely in this Silestone colour or in Dekton Eter and Silestone Charcoal Soapstone.

Finally, in another of the four bedrooms, an island washbasin in Silestone White Zeus becomes a harmonious totem-like sculptural set.

Dekton, also for outdoors

The distinctive curved red brick façade designed by Coderch now contrasts with an impressive Dekton Rem wall which, thanks to its high resistance to temperature changes and the effects of UV rays, will remain unchanged for years to come. The same applies to the table tops on the terrace, which are clad in Dekton Sirius, a textured colour with green hints. Long live this architectural gem.