An Old Stone Wall Props Up an Experimental Micro-Flat in Spain

The 323-square-foot apartment updates cave typology with bold colors and multifunctional spaces.

Madrid-based Gon Architects took some chances with the cheeky BYG House. In essence, the rentable flat is a modern portrayal of a Paleolithic dwelling. “Each room is a historical and symbolic representation of the cave,” say the architects.

The apartment juxtaposes machine-smooth texture with painted stonework, and it’s divided into three distinct spaces by the colors teal, yellow, and off-white. A shaded, portal-like entry doubles as a closet, fiery yellow warms the kitchen, and a wall of stone and wood beams defines the living area.

Photo by Imagen Subliminal

A Murphy bed drops to convert this space into a bedroom, while revealing a hidden bookshelf. It’s a space for work, sleep, entertaining, and relaxing. The cooking area, though narrow, is opened up by floor-to-ceiling mirrors, which conceal a bathroom clad in white tile. “The spaces reflect on classic dualities like public and private, inside and outside, and interior and exterior,” say Gon Architects.

Photo by Imagen Subliminal

Photo by Imagen Subliminal

See the full story on Dwell.com: An Old Stone Wall Props Up an Experimental Micro-Flat in Spain
Related stories:

  • An Architect Turns a Weathered French Farmhouse Into a Monastic Retreat for His Parents
  • Before & After: A Vibrant Remodel Tunes Up an Australian Bungalow for a Family and Their Pets
  • A 200-Year-Old German Farmhouse Gets a Quirky, Glass-Fronted Addition

Similar Posts

  • Jungle Keva

    Situated in Tulum, this small boutique hotel rises between the trees, in which the main concept consisted in preserving 70% of the existing vegetation in order to build around it. By achieving this, every space of the project is always in relation to its natural surroundings. The hotel has five 50m2 lodges, formed by a double height room, a mezzanine or “tapanco”, a terrace and an indoor-outdoor bathroom. At the back of the lot the social areas are located, with a dining space and yoga pavilion hanging in cantilever over the pool. The main idea of this water element is to be extruded from the ground in between the vegetation. For this reason, two old zapote trees were preserved, which look as they were rising from the pool itself. All the project is composed by local materials, as well as low maintenance and natural textures, which provide a warm atmosphere to the buildings. A particular finish found on the walls is “chukum”, a Mayan stucco characteristic of the region, which uses a tree resin to give its distinctive color, appearance and durability. The objective was to use materials that age with dignity, so that with the passing of time the architecture acquires character and a deeper sense of belonging. The different volumes of the complex are scattered along the lot, between the trees and stone paths, which provide a sensation of being in a small village in the Mayan jungle. Throughout the design process there was a search for pure forms and natural materials that could blend with the surrounding context. In a sense, Jungle Keva is like an abstraction or simplification of vernacular architecture, easy to read, simple and with a social, natural and economic conscience.