The work carried out by Óscar Miguel Ares focused primarily on the restoration of the three original partitions—the entrance, the intermediate, and the interior—which function as a sequence of spatial filters capable of lending depth and complexity to the small commercial space. Additionally, the perpendicular walls were finished in white to reinforce visual continuity and enhance the perception of the spatial sequence that unfolds from the street into the interior.
The design establishes a delicate dialogue between memory, craftsmanship, and respect for heritage, bringing the essence of Viennese architecture to the Valladolid context. The precise design processes, along with the meticulous work of the various trades involved, have allowed for the restoration of the splendor of a unique example of mimetic architecture that forms part of the city's urban and architectural memory.
Former "Cuchillerías Blanco" premises renovation by Óscar Miguel Ares. Photography by Gabriel Gallegos Alonso.
Project description by Óscar Miguel Ares
1. A Journey from Vienna to Valladolid
Let me tell you a story: in 1910, Adolf Loos designed the Knize store in Vienna, a marble geode delicately opened by symmetrically arranged, subtle woodwork, its ethereal glass filtering light into the interior. Decades later, in the 1930s, Ramón Pérez Lozana, a seasoned architect from Oviedo living in Valladolid, fascinated by the Viennese master's work, reproduced that same façade he had seen in Vienna on Santiago Street in 1934. An example of mimetic architecture, but also of admiration for the Austrian architect.
Initially, the premises housed a tailor shop; later, it became Blanco Cutlery. Abandoned at the beginning of this century, in 2025 we were fortunate enough to undertake its rehabilitation, restoring it to its original state while simultaneously complementing its architecture with precise and contemporary interventions.
2. Rehabilitating the Atmosphere
The main design objective was to recover the atmosphere and memory of this small space, which embodies a part of the city's history. Located on Valladolid's main thoroughfare, the principal intervention lies in the rehabilitation of the three partitions—considering the façade as an additional partition—which, like a diaphragm, divide the interior space. These three partitions contract and expand the space, divide and create continuity, and represent the project's greatest effort. Each one functions as a filter.
The first, the entrance, which also bears the imprint of modernity, filters the light and the entrance, timidly peeking out at the city, where it displays its marble and brass to reveal the interior through small shop windows, just as in Vienna. The middle section defines the customer's space: it is the sales area. Modern design elements are lost behind ornate, styleless woodwork, crowned by various types of amber-tinted glass. The inner section functions as a partition and private area, where the machinery was housed and where the space is further confined by a mezzanine that served as a worker's rest area. As in the second section, its wooden construction is unpretentious.
To reinforce the idea of depth and sectioning, which can be seen in the sequencing of these three membranes, the perpendicular canvases were painted white to further highlight the spatial connection, giving them the entire narrative of the intervention and reinforcing the axis from the exterior to the interior.
The white side walls house the rhythmic wooden wainscoting that incorporates the building services, concealing them from view. The light fixtures, designed in the studio, are intended solely to complement the atmosphere of the space.
In an imaginary journey to Loos's Vienna, and with Lozana's permission, the craftsmanship of the trades involved allowed us to recover the original furniture, partitions, and glazing, understanding that we had to reinforce the spatial atmosphere lost due to unfortunate interventions through small, yet concentrated, operations capable of adapting the space to current comfort standards.
A journey through architecture, strolling between master and disciple, recovering the memory of the place, which is ultimately that of the citizens who contemplate it.
2015 
2024.
