Cabinet Studio Apartment

The small corner flat in the Eixample district of Barcelona was adapted to serve as a study for the next 15 years and as a apartment during the retirement thereafter. The change of use from a studio to housing is relatively easy in this area, as almost all of the district is regulated to allow for different uses.

To achieve this flexibility, the design concentrates all specialised functions into a single area which has a furniture-like appearance and crosses the main rooms following the 45-degree logic of a corner flat. The original building from 1900 features corner flats boasting two orientations, the one of the street, and the one of the chamfer in 45 degrees, characteristic of the Cerdà Plan blocks.

This wooden service area houses the kitchen and bathroom, along with a loft that functions as a storage of the study, and as a mezzanine bedroom for future grandchildren when they come to visit.

The rest of the apartment is left practically intact. The floors, ceilings, and moldings that in good condition have been refurbished to establish a careful contrast with the area of the services. This contrast unites the two directions in a corner flat, as well as the two uses the apartment will have in the future.

Source: Finnish Architectural Review 5/2023