Distorting domestic linearity. Renovation on Calle Almirante by Padilla Nicás arquitectos
31/05/2020.
[MAD] Spain
metalocus, AGUSTÍN GAMARRA
metalocus, AGUSTÍN GAMARRA
Project description by Padilla Nicás arquitectos
The extraordinary location on Calle Almirante in Madrid's elegant Justicia neighborhood characterizes this building from the early 20th century.
The type of apartment with a balcony facing the street and a large background, illuminated through patios, was once widely used in homes of all kinds in this city. When they reach larger dimensions, long corridor routes are created that are necessary to communicate both ends of the house.
Controlling and reducing the routes inside the house was from the beginning a fundamental part of the proposal. To do this, some rooms are connected to each other through alternative circulations to the corridor, thus breaking their linearity.
The living rooms, all of them connected and close to the access, are organized next to the street front, while the bedrooms are located around the patios.
The children's bedroom becomes a large room located in the center of the house, a transition area between the public and private areas through the shelving that separates it.
Neutral materials and finishes have been used with a punctual touch of color that give prominence to the original elements that have been maintained, such as the floors, radiators and plaster moldings.
The different pieces of furniture, belonging to previous homes and family heirlooms, find their place completing the intervention and increasing its value.
Francisco José Padilla Alonso (Madrid 1971) and Juan Manuel Nicás Caballero (Jaen 1975) formed padilla nicás in 2003 after meeting at Rafael Moneo´s office, where they worked as partners on various projects in Spain and the USA.
Currently their professional work combines design commissions at different scales, competitions and occasional teaching activities.
Francisco José Padilla, architectural license received from the ETSAM in 1997, began his career in the architectural firms of Andrés Perea, Pedro Feduchi and Ángel Fernández Alba before joining Rafael Moneo.
Juan Manuel Nicás, architectural license received from the ETSAG in 1999 with the National Prize for the Thesis Project, with a scholarship to the Academy of Spain in Rome before joining Rafael Moneo.