The domestic space reflects individuals’ activities, behaviors, and actions, where various dynamics and processes coexist as part of daily life. Although each home has its distribution logic according to the time of its design, the needs of its inhabitants, the technologies of the era, and other factors, residential interior renovations often express an interest in recovering old structures and façades, recycling unused furniture, restoring high-quality elements present in coverings and flooring, or directly integrating new features to achieve greater spatial fluidity, lighting, and optimization of surfaces.
According to Josep Montaner, the house is like a microcosm in the universe. Whether dialoguing with the landscape, reinterpreting its history, or incorporating new construction technologies, contemporary renovations of small apartments in Madrid often bring with them the consideration of visual relationships, circulation spaces, and improvements in living conditions, being able to create multi-purpose spaces that adapt to present and future needs. From movable enclosures to multipurpose furniture, today’s architecture professionals articulate different scenarios that combine materials, textures, and colors as a method of transformation and rehabilitation toward a flexible and constantly changing way of living.
Continue reading to discover six apartment projects of up to 60 square meters in Madrid, organized to make the most of their interiors.
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House Renovation JM55 / BURR Studio
In this 1970s home renovation, the transformation seeks to break with the distribution paradigm of the time, arranged within 40 m². By dismantling the divisions between spaces and dissolving the boundaries of use, a central core integrates all the house’s installations, with the bathroom being the only element completely isolated. Meanwhile, the remaining materials, uses, and rooms blend and interact. Additionally, rails incorporated into the ceilings create a completely different space—a textile project of temporary rooms with complementary uses that require varying degrees of intimacy or isolation.
Olivar House / Matteo Ferrari
Based on an organic layout composed of a sequence of consecutive spaces, the intervention in this Madrid apartment aims to create a luminous and visual connection to provide spatial openness and connection with the exterior. Natural light sources are visible from every corner of the house, recreating an atmosphere with subtle light and shadow nuances.
The Magic Wall Reform / Impepinable Studio
Faced with the characteristic geometry of a building located in the center of Madrid, Impepinable Studio decided to approach the renovation by taking the idea of longitudinal space to another level by solving the entire project with a single ‘magic wall.’ This wall allows for storing everything from clothes and books to kitchen utensils and appliances, houses a bathroom while also featuring a large sink, and serves as a space for cooking, refrigerating, and more. By organizing all the other areas of the apartment, the intervention provides a spacious living area for sharing, working, resting, and so on.
La Felipa / DIA UNO STUDIO
In just 55 m², the renovation of this apartment aims to adapt the typical compartmentalized layout of the 1960s into a hybrid and flexible use. To free up space and increase fluidity and brightness, a large portion of the partitions was removed, and exposed electrical wiring was installed to eliminate false ceilings and expand the living area. In this way, an open area is conceived as a multifunctional space for cooking, eating, or working, where the uses are framed around an iron shelving unit integrated with the rest of the materials, functioning as a dynamic element for storage, separation, or connection.
Multiple House / P+S Estudio de Arquitectura
Located in the historic center of Madrid, the renovation of this 45 m² apartment creates a new space to accommodate a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, storage area, and an extra space for other uses, without excessively subdividing the rooms. The home is designed as a multiple of itself, seeking to multiply the possibilities of use within a small area. At the same time, it reflects the uncertainty of uses that converge in contemporary living, where adaptability and flexibility play a fundamental role in adding functional areas without needing to increase square footage. The main challenge of the project was to find a way to expand and multiply the uses in a home that only allowed for 35 m² of usable space.
Palos Apartment / fama(sss)
The project involves the renovation of a small apartment with narrow spaces, high ceilings, and thin partitions and windows. Throughout the shared creative process, the discussion focused on how to articulate a single domestic space without divisions. The aim was to achieve a natural and fluid movement based on either consensual or spontaneous reference points, stemming from the dynamic relationship between the body and space rather than the imposition of walls and doors. All the partitions were demolished, and a central volume of 2.5 meters in height was installed to organize domestic life around the main living area while concentrating the wet zones in the center of the apartment, serving as both the bathroom and kitchen.
This article is part of an ArchDaily curated series that focuses on built projects from our own database grouped under specific themes related to cities, typologies, materials, or programs. Every month, we will highlight a collection of structures that find a common thread between previously uncommon contexts, unpacking the depths of influence on our built environments. As always, at ArchDaily, we highly appreciate the input of our readers. If you think we should mention specific ideas, please submit your suggestions.