POLKA MONJAS APARTMENT

The project’s first step was to eliminate all the interior partitions of the original layout, creating an open space defined by the apartment’s perimeter, a 20m x 5m rectangle with the narrow side facing the street and a central interior light patio of 10x2 meters providing further light and ventilation to the core of the dwelling.

The redesigned space is organized by three linear bands, each containing the necessary services, infrastructure, and equipment for the dwelling. These bands, each with distinct colors and materials, structure the new layout. 

Each band is defined by a shell of different material and texture, which in turn embraces a series of equipment and furniture elements in a complementary palette. The varied finishes of the bands create a vibrant and contemporary interior referencing a classic Mediterranean palette and making the apartment’s daily operations visible.

The new layout groups the common areas near the façade, including an open kitchen that blends seamlessly with the living area. Two bedrooms are tucked away in the apartment’s quieter rear area, while the third, connected to the living room by a translucent double door, can serve as a workspace or guest room.

The kitchen design spans two bands and is divided into three sections: storage for food and dishes, cleaning, and cooking. The cleaning area is in the second band along the interior patio wall, while the storage and cooking areas are in the band along the hallway, forming the wall that defines the rooms. The cooking area ends this band, morphing into an island that extends into the living room.

The bathroom is nestled between two bands, one of which includes a landscaped interior patio, providing natural light to the bathroom and kitchen-living room and introducing plants and greenery into the home. The sink area is rotated 90 degrees to provide a generous two-meter countertop.

The final result is a flexible, well-lit space that eliminates much of the hallway, offering a modern, comfortable, and spacious living area while ensuring privacy for the bedrooms. The bands and materials, almost sculptural in their presence, generate an intermediate scale that provides continuity throughout the dwelling, while each room is uniquely defined by its intersection with these bands.