Plazuela de Santiago Apartment / BABELstudio

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Text description provided by the architects.Located in a historic building in the Old Town ofBilbao, this project proposes the renovation of a home in which the image of the past and the present coexist, emphasizing the choice of natural materials and attention to detail of integrated furniture.Excluding the bathroom, the color of the walls, as well as, the free-standing furniture elements of the project seek a neutral and soft line. The Hari chairs by Ondarreta in linen color and the Mags sofa by Hay in sand color bring serenity and comfort to the room. Each choice has been made to create a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere that complements the harmony of the entire project.The bathroom is conceived as the original element of the apartment, where the choice of materials and geometric shapes are combined to create a space inspired by architecture from the last century. The colors are the protagonists: beige and dark red hydraulic tiles on the floor are harmonized with a bluish tone on the walls, including the shower covered in micro cement. The sink, a piece designed by our studio and executed by Mosaic Factory, combines the same colors of the flooring in a resounding piece of terrazzo.Special attention has been paid to the design of each integrated furniture element. Our studio designed the kitchen and shelves, as well as the dining table. These elements are made with oak plywood and finished with varnishes and natural oils. Every detail, from the design of the kitchen cabinet and its hand-made handles to the assembly of the shelving parts, has been carefully designed to give the space uniqueness.The new home is divided into a day area that includes the kitchen, dining room, and living room and has two arch-shaped balconies and a bow window with views of the cathedral, and a night area with a double master bedroom, a single one, and a large bathroom that opens to interior patios.Our main objective was to return the home to the splendor it would have enjoyed at the time of its construction. Although important architectural interventions were made, the ceilings were raised to the maximum, and original rooms were expanded and unified, the most valuable architectural elements of the property were highlighted and characteristic historical elements were reintroduced such as cornices or timber windows that evoke the origin of the building.