Designed by Lucas y Hernández-Gil, H71 is 200sqm apartment set on the border between Madrid‘s museum precinct in Paseo del Prado and the Barrio de las Letras (Literary Quarter), the model of the ancient city. The original building dates back to the 1950’s, considered one of Madrid’s first examples of concrete structure in a residential building, designed by the local architect Gutierrez Soto. The owners were looking for a sunny home in the centre of the city with views of Madrid rooftops, when they stumbled on the original apartment.
The building delivered all the characteristics they were looking for, although the enclosed nature of the existing spaces called for a complete renovation. Lucas y Hernández-Gil sought to create a large, open and clean interior, perfect for the display of the client’s extensive art collection. “We left the concrete structure exposed, allowing us flexibility that we were looking for. The aim for the project was a concept that sat halfway between a house and an art gallery, without loosing the scale and comfort of a domestic space,” explain the designers.
Lucas y Hernández-Gil selected oak timber for the flooring and marble from Macael for the bathrooms – two materials which were both previously present in the building. The colour palette was kept completely neutral, allowing the owner’s paintings and photography collections to shine. The apartment is furnished with a selection of exclusive pieces such as the LC7 swivel chairs from Cassina, designed by Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret; Paulistano armchair by Mendes da Rocha; Elica marble table from Zanotta; AIM lamps by The Bouroullecs for FLOS, amongst others. Bookcases, beds & bed-heads, along with washbasins and wardrobes were custom designed by Lucas y Hernández-Gil.
