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Architects: Estudio Primitivo González | eGa
- Year: 2019
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Photographs:Luis Díaz Díaz
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Manufacturers: Klein, Ecophon, Forbo, Kettal, Roca, Schüco, Valerie objects, Vescom, Vitra, Wastberg
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Lead Architects: Primitivo González, Ara González, Noa González
Text description provided by the architects. Hiroshi Sugimoto captures the ocean almost obsessively. In his pictures, a horizontal line separates two dense volumes; sea and sky. This flat is a Sugimoto picture carved into architecture, a room which is a frame for looking to the sea. The contrast when one enters the flat is disconcerting. There is a radical difference between it and the rest of the building, an example of a typical Costa del Sol block from the 70’s. From within the gaudy balusters and peeling paint, the subtraction of the room forces one to turn their attention to the distant horizon.
Ortega y Gasset said works of art were “imaginary islands surrounded by reality on all sides. (...) The real wall must end suddenly, radically, so we are plunged immediately into the unreal work of art. There is, however, need for some buffer. This is the frame.” In our case, architecture is the frame for contemplation of the work of art, which is the sea.
On top of this, there is a break in the frame to separate an external terrace, and the internal space. The linoleum floor is warm and mitigates noise. Along with the acoustic ceiling panels and high efficiency window frames, the space is a quiet bubble within the building. The grey colour throughout the inside contrasts with the vibrant exterior.
The existing internal partitions were demolished and replaced with a single curtain rail, which snakes through the ceiling. By sliding the curtains around, one can completely change the spatial perception of the flat, making it feel much larger than its 50 square metres. A large living room, an intimate bedroom, a secondary guest bedroom, a dining area... Different atmospheres and spaces, generated by the interplay of translucent textile with itself. The ever-changing Mediterranean light is filtered as it enters the flat and interacts with the curtains. By rupturing with its context, separating oneself acoustically, and turning the gaze to the views, the feeling is of being transported somewhere else.
