Tuesday 7 June 2011

Home Tour: Barbara House by Barbara Appolloni Architects

The 115 sqm apartment is set in Barcelona's Gothic quarter, near the Old Wall. It has an elongated shape, with a linear sequence of six balconies. Originally, it was subdivided into several rooms, joined by a long corridor which looked unto an interior courtyard.



The project aimed at creating a space which served as a private apartment as well as studio, and which also highlighted the plant's original length.

The initial distribution has been entirely modified: the traffic flow has been reversed from the patio side to the street side and the spaces have been opened up to maximize the generous heights and natural light.

The flat thus revolves around a large central room, with the dining room, kitchen and work space creating an uninterrupted and fluid whole. The bedrooms are located at the opposite ends of the house. The bathroom and dressing room are next to the master bedroom.

The original elements which have been preserved are the woodwork, which has been stripped, and the large stained glass window, a piece of the beginning of the 20th century, which dominates the dining room. One of the sensations which best defines the house's space is the contrast between, on one hand, the simple surfaces and the generous volumes of the interior, and on the other, the ornamental details and narrow streets of the Gothic city outside.

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