Authors Ara González + Noa González + Primitivo González (father)
Collaborators Jessica Nieves
Location Benalmádena, Málaga
Year 2019
Client Private
Surface 50sqm
Photography Luis Díaz Díaz
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Through a simple architectural strategy, moveable textile partitions allow for a variety of spatial possibilities. Torremuelle. A room looking to the sea is the refurbishment of an apartment in Benalmádena, Spain, designed by González Arquitectos.
In 1978, Primitivo González founded his own studio. After decades of work in competitions and public and private commissions, in 2014 Noa and Ara González joined to found Estudio González Arquitectos.
A single curtain rail snakes through the ceiling, dividing the space into different spaces.
The translucent material filters the Mediterranean light, provoking suggestive color variations throughout the day.
For the architects, 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.
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 are 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.
“Architecture is the frame for contemplation of the work of art, which is the sea.” the architects recount
Authors Ara González + Noa González + Primitivo González (father)
Collaborators Jessica Nieves
Location Benalmádena, Málaga
Year 2019
Client Private
Surface 50sqm
Photography Luis Díaz Díaz