Attics, Casa Burés · Interior Design Project / Barcelona

The superior flats -which in the past were rental apartments- were transformed into sixteen apartments among 120 and 170 m2, and also five attics. Two of the attics are duplex, after recovering the antique rooftops, and they are found at the third and fourth floor; the other three attics are found on the fourth floor of the building.

INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT by Estudio VILABLANCH + TDB Arquitectura

There are 5 attics in Casa Burés, 3 in the single-floor mode and 2 in the duplex attic mode. For those who search for a more singular space, two of the attics have been created including a circular bedroom in the interior tower of the building.

In the attics, the interior design concept is the same found in the apartments: create a clear separation between the old and the new elements. The old elements are found in the spaces close to the crown of the building that gives to the façade and, the new elements are found in the interior of the house and in all the second floor of the duplex attics.

The spaces of the crown building have original elements with high beauty that were recovered carefully by craftsman experts: nolla pavements, coffered ceilings with rich frames and polychromies, doors and frames out of pinewood (they were made in their original material, reproducing the model of an existing door that was in good conditions). In the day zone in the area where there is now the living room, the dining room and the kitchen, two rooms were joined to achieve a more spacious stay, but the coexistence between both ceilings was maintained.

In the interior of the attics and in the second floor of the attics duplex new materials were chosen to allow the contrast between the old and the new elements. In this sense, the two main interventions were oak wood floors in areas where there were no nolla pavements and the application of white as the only color in walls, ceilings, carpentry and in the pavements and facings of the new bathrooms.

DISTRIBUTION

​The project involves five unique homes with high heritage and architectural value, which dimensions are among 160 to 260 m2. Each attic has a day zone with an open kitchen as the protagonist that is opened to the majestic living-dining room, also a night zone where there are two bedrooms: a suite with a bathroom, a dressing room and a working area, in addition to a secondary bedroom with its bathroom. In the duplex attics, the night zone has three bedrooms instead of two.

Casa Burés is a residential project which involves 26 luxury apartments among 120 and 500 m2. The interior design project of the building has been carried out by the vilablanch studio and TDB Arquitectura, commissioned by Bonavista Developments.

THE CHALLENGE

The challenge was to transform the Casa Burés, a modernist jewel with a big cultural heritage, into an exclusive residential building adapted to the new contemporary aesthetics and the nowadays needs, with extended common amenities.

To make this challenge possible an interior design that recovers and highlights the original elements of the building was carried out. At the same time, each apartment is adapted to today’s living necessities such as, functionality, distribution and commodity.

TWO KEY AXES OF THE PROJECT  

DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE OLD AND THE NEW ELEMENTS

While doing the elaboration of the interior design project of Casa Burés some specific decisions were taken for each apartment typology, taking into account the original structure and the target. But, at the same time, a clear and important decision was taken for the whole building: restore the elements that were found in good conditions and accompany them with new elements that wouldn’t compete or imitate the old ones.

For this reason we can distinguish between the old and new elements. On the ones hand, the original elements were restored with craftsman’s techniques of the epoch (Nolla pavements, polychromise ceilings, elaborated mouldings…). On the other hand, the new elements don’t compete with the existent   (new pavements, ceramics, furniture…). An elegant interior design was chosen which recovers and enhances the valuable architectural and decorative elements that are part of modernism, and accompanies them with materials and contemporary elements just as refined.

DEVELOP A SPECIFIC INTERIOR DESING FOR EACH APARTMENTS TYPOLOGY

3 interior design concepts were defined and developed, taking into account the original characteristics and structure found in each space. The interior design team developed three concepts for three different apartment modalities:

· An interior design concept for the 3 lofts located in the ground level and the common amenities in the basement: Industrial aesthetics inspired in its past.
· An interior design concept for the 2 noble residences located on the main floor and for the building's halls: Absolute respect for existing elements.
​· An interior design concept for the 16 flats located in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floor, an the 5 attics located in the 3rd and 4th floor (two of them are duplex): Clear separation between the old and the new elements

The interior design project carried out a precise election of the different materials and finishes in each apartment and in the common amenities: pavements, facings, colours (of floors, walls, furniture…) kitchens, bathrooms, doors, knobs, handrails, lighting, furniture, etc…