Turning into this quiet, conventional residential street in Madrid, a visitor might be surprised to walk past Casa Galgo by Murado & Elvira Arquitectos. The new home is an ode to minimalism, all simple, white volumes, clean lines and a serene presence. And what makes this home even more memorable is its distinctive, slim main volume, a monolith of minimalist architecture, just 4m in width, which amply accommodates the house – albeit a narrow house – while adhering to local planning restrictions.
In order to make the most of the narrow site (set in a densely built part of town), the architects, led by studio founders Clara Murado and Juan Elvira, dug down, plunging one generous level below ground while digging out wrap-around outdoor space to make sure light travels throughout the home. There is ‘a courtyard on the basement level, a garden with a swimming pool on the ground floor, and a double-height terrace on the first floor that expand and complement the tight interior of the house’, the architects explain. These allow for ‘a rich spatial experience while keeping the necessary privacy in a dense residential neighbourhood’.
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The house spans four levels in total, which host a family room and garage, in the basement; the flowing living and kitchen space, on the ground level; the ensuite master bedroom, which occupies the whole first floor; and further bedrooms at the top. The whole is crowned by an accessible roof terrace.
Clean surfaces and large openings help the natural light bounce off the walls, illuminating the interior. Meanwhile, large perforated metal sliding shutters add interest and nuance to the lighting experience. Similarly, the main staircase balustrade is elegantly woven to provide views through it, as well as a sculptural quality, as it spans levels and functions.
A slim, white, perforated bridge leads to the main entrance from the street, spanning playfully over the lower ground courtyard, while a spiral staircase connects an upper terrace to the second floor sun trap on the roof at the rear – adding a bit of drama and anticipation to this otherwise serene minimalist structure, a modestly sized, narrow house that punches above its weight.
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