House In Penumbra

English description provided by the architects.

Casa en Penumbra is the renovation of a 56 m² apartment located in a 19th-century building in the center of Madrid, conceived as a domestic environment shaped by soft, filtered light where shadow becomes a defining architectural element.

The project is organized around a single architectural gesture: a compact oak volume that contains the bedroom and bathroom.

This central element defines the spatial logic of the dwelling, allowing the rest of the program — kitchen, dining, living, and storage — to unfold as a continuous space around it.

The nearly rectangular plan features two balconies facing the street and a smaller opening toward the inner courtyard.

The resulting layout promotes an open and fluid domestic environment, where functions overlap and boundaries remain intentionally diffuse.

Materiality plays a key role in constructing the atmosphere of the project.

Natural light is filtered through linen curtains and layered textiles, softening the intensity of the exterior and generating a controlled penumbra.

The kitchen is conceived as a dark wood volume integrated into the main living space, with a central marble opening that highlights its presence while maintaining visual continuity.

Within the oak core, the bedroom and bathroom form a more intimate domain, accessed through a large sliding door that intensifies the transition between spaces.