00:03The idea was to create the sensation of a single undivided open space, but at the same time trying to
00:11maintain a certain degree of privacy and functionality.
00:16My name is Antonio Antequera, I am the architect and founder of Extra Radio Architecture Studio, based in Madrid.
00:25The house overlooks one of the most beautiful squares of the area, Agustín Lara, where you can find the ruins
00:32of the old church square as pias.
00:37My inspiration came from lofts where artists occupy former factories.
00:42Two large units of furniture divide and define areas.
00:48I really wanted to create a modern layout while still highlighting the traditional elements with contrasting contemporary materials, colors and
00:57finishes.
01:00During the renovations, we found some items inside the wall.
01:04It belonged to a man that fought in the Spanish Civil War and hid these documents after it was finished.
01:10His last name was Ribet, so we named the flat Casa Ribet.
01:14It's our way to keep the history of this apartment.
01:25The flat is located in Lavapiés, in the city center of Madrid.
01:31In the surrounding area, you can find many cafes and restaurants, and it's also known for its art galleries.
01:38The building is a corrala, built in the 19th century, a traditional type of building used by the working classes
01:46in Madrid.
01:47This type of buildings are arranged around a central patio, with exterior corridors acting as a long balcony.
01:56The flat had its original 19th century distribution.
01:59The flat didn't even have a shower.
02:02People used the public bathhouses in the area.
02:06We tore down all the walls and rebuilt the wooden structure of the building.
02:11A single large piece functions as the kitchen and three closets that can be accessed from the different rooms in
02:18the house.
02:21As you walk in, you can appreciate the full 3 meter height that we discovered when we tore down the
02:27dropped ceilings.
02:29The floors are made of green hydraulic tiles, typical of Madrid homes.
02:37Right beside the door, you can see the large yellow unit. It contains a closet for coats and washing machine.
02:48The kitchen starts at the entrance of the apartment.
02:52We managed to make it feel very light and open, thanks to the yellow color and shiny finish.
03:00We used stainless steel IKEA doors for the bottom cabinets.
03:07And we covered the IKEA cabinets on top with melamine doors.
03:15The kitchen has an oven, a dishwasher and under-counter fridge and freezer.
03:23I chose a black granite countertop.
03:26I fully covered the space behind the cooktop, so it will be easier to clean.
03:33Above the kitchen, about a meter of unused space lets air and light flow through.
03:42The living room is the main and central space of the flat.
03:47Yellow kitchen unit continues around the living area and bedroom.
03:52It has closets on three sides and contains the main storage of the apartment.
04:00On the bathroom side, there are cleaning products, a vacuum cleaner, a mop, etc.
04:08The unit is framed out by the wooden beams that support the entire structure of this building.
04:16Which I find fascinating and wanted to highlight.
04:22Above it, I placed a Ptolemeo lamp by Artemide, to add ambient light to the entire apartment.
04:30I placed the sofa facing the window to appreciate the views and to create a sort of hallway.
04:37I placed a descriptive set that I made out with a reminder of the kitchen counter and a couple of
04:43wheels.
04:44It allows me to easily move the TV around the apartment.
04:50Along the other wall, a large open high-saving unit serves to display the tenant's books, memories and design prototypes.
05:01In the space cut out by the window and the serving unit, the tenants place the dining table to be
05:07able to have their meals when looking out the window.
05:12We kept the bathroom unit low to be used as a storage.
05:16In this area, we store the extra seating for the dining table.
05:20It is accessed by a portable ladder that we keep right beside it.
05:27On one of the walls, the tenants place their home offices.
05:33I had bought this flexible LED tube and tied it in a knot to make it look like a decor.
05:44To keep the apartment cool when the afternoon sun comes through the window,
05:48we installed traditional alicantinas in the balcony.
05:52They filter the light and let a soft breeze through.
05:58The bathroom is located inside the glass block wall.
06:03We managed to salvage an original pair of doors during the renovation,
06:08which we turned into sliding doors for this space.
06:13The sink sits on the black granite worktop that is the same as the kitchen.
06:18The bathroom mirror was made as large as possible, to give the greatest feeling of spaciousness.
06:26On one side of the bathroom, there is a walk-in shower room.
06:31It's compact, but the glass blocks make it feel open and bring in a lot of light.
06:36The doors to the shower and toilet are made of frosted glass.
06:42This helps to filter the natural light all the way through to the toilet during the day.
06:48I wanted it to have some storage for my shoes and bathroom supplies.
06:55At night, you can turn the light on in the bathroom.
06:59And it gives the living room a warm-blowing ambient light, which I love.
07:08The bedroom is placed within the yellow piece and feels cozy even though it has no doors.
07:16On the bedroom side, the yellow kitchen unit is the main wardrobe of our clothes.
07:26Because the windows in here face the interior corridor of the Corrala, I chose dark velvet curtains that maintain privacy
07:33and blocked light.
07:37I always try to minimize partition walls and closed rooms as much as possible.
07:44When designing the small spaces, all the areas and furniture should have as many uses as possible.
07:54We live in the age where, especially in Europe, it's becoming increasingly difficult to live in the city centers.
08:01These small flats offer young professionals the opportunity to continue living in the heart of the city.
08:07.
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