raúl sánchez places mysterious brass 'magic box' within family house in spain

raúl sánchez architects has refurbished the ground floor of an old three-storey family house located within the center of industrial town viladecans, in spain. the redesign aims to accomodate the new family generation – a young couple and their two daughters – while the elders will continue living upstairs. access from the street is shared, and the intervention begins within the entrance hall.

all images by josé hevia

the house, situated at a corner location, is characterized by a structural wall that runs longitudinally and creates two well-defined bays on each side. raúl sánchez architects decided from the start not to intervene on the structure, so this wall became the backbone of the new proposal, which did contemplate the demolition of the rest of the interior partitions.

upon entering one can observe the spacious hall made up of a series of planes/partitions. this area showcases the new design language, while also generating openings in the upper part, allowing natural light to brighten the interior. a common kitchen and dining space connects to the outside garden, with lush vegetation, through a longitudinal bench that slides into the window opening. the window itself was placed on the exterior face of the facade plan, turning it invisible from the interior, creating the feeling of being in close contact with the exterior.

on the other side of the load-bearing wall, a continuum of rooms is developed, which are connected to both the access area and the kitchen-dining room. meanwhile, the rooms also communicate with each other, allowing multiple alternative connections, which increase the spatial experience and the interior complexity of the house. there are four rooms (three bedrooms and a living room) and three service areas between them.

the two smaller bedrooms, intended for the daughters, are actually both included within the same space, in which the magic box is located. the magic box is an abstract volume, like a jewelry-surprise box, made of brass, golden and shiny, which encloses the wardrobes. but also, it is a secret passage between the two bedrooms through its central door. this magic box has a height of 210cm, and can be climbed on top, making it a secret place for the young girls.

the material strategy is restricted, but its influence is crucial to the design. the flooring in the rooms is wooden, changing its direction on either side of the load-bearing wall. in service areas, the floor shifts to white microcement, marking the transition between spaces. in addition, a few color interventions were carried out, which subtly highlight the transition between spaces, aligning the color marks with the extension of axes, some of them visible and others invisible.

project info:

name: the magic box apartment
architecture office: raúl sánchez architects 
in collaboration with: albert montilla, valentina barberio
engineering: marés ingenieros
structure: diagonal estructuras
location: viladecans, spain
area: 110 sqm