Located on the top floor of a multi-family housing building in Barcelona’s Raval neighbourhood, the penthouse has access from the centre to a floor strangled by a lightwell that divides the house into two separate spaces: the first one, a street-facing room, and the second one, a four-times larger space divided by a series of parallel walls, derived from a structural rehabilitation.
Courtesy of P-M-A-A
The arcaded back façade serves as an endowment that provides a logical structure to the project. The geometrical repetition of the consecutive and dividing load-bearing walls results in a unique space that conceptually preserves its original limits. Around the structure, functionality exceeds the physical limits, either surrounding it or just bumping into it. The sofa, the bathtub, the bedroom and the shower, as well as the dressing area, find their own place on a fluffy green fitted carpet.
Courtesy of P-M-A-A
A mirrored cubicle articulates the two areas. The mirrors turn the intimacy of the toilet room into infinite, which means that the toilet room becomes intimate within the infinity of reflections.
Courtesy of P-M-A-A
The street-facing room becomes the public space of the house with a wide table. The movable elements allow that cooking, eating, sitting and hosting have a place around the table.
Courtesy of P-M-A-A
The renovation works started in 2015. A period of two years permitted an artisanal process of trial and error that had its mishaps on the way.
Courtesy of P-M-A-A
Courtesy of P-M-A-A
Project Info
Architects: P-M-A-A
Area: 1065 ft²
Year: 2017
Country: Barcelona, Spain
Manufacturers: Ceràmica Cumella, Davide Groppi, Hilca Carpet (natural wool), P-M-A-A, Vola
Ruba Ahmed, a senior project editor at Arch2O and an Alexandria University graduate, has reviewed hundreds of architectural projects with precision and insight. Specializing in architecture and urban design, she excels in project curation, topic selection, and interdepartmental collaboration. Her dedication and expertise make her a pivotal asset to Arch2O.