A bespoke penthouse

When architecture responds to a way of living, not the other way around

Il n'y a pas d'horaire. Il n'y a pas de zone pour chaque chose. Il y a une guitare, il y a des vinyles, il y a une terrasse avec la ville entière devant. Et il y a une façon de se déplacer dans la maison qui ne suit aucun schéma préétabli.

Ce penthouse de la rue Alegría a été conçu à partir de cette réalité. Non pas pour l'ordonner, mais pour qu'elle puisse y tenir entièrement.

Building on what already exists
The building has character. The architect's father designed it, and that's evident: in the balconies, in the expressiveness of every detail, in a personality that demands attention.
The renovation did not try to erase it.
The blue pillar remains visible. The terrace and interior pavements are laid continuously, without interruption. The materials and volumes converse with what the building already was before the intervention.
There are projects that start from scratch. This one started from what was already there, and gained depth because of it.
"I didn't want what made this place special to disappear. That was part of why I was here."

An open space for a compartment-free life

The kitchen and living room are not separated. They form a single environment where cooking, working, listening to music or simply being all happen on the same plane.

The island integrates the sink and dining surface. The base cabinets run parallel to expand the work area. The custom-built sofa aligns with the floor tone and does not break visual continuity.

The same spot can be a study in the morning, a kitchen at noon, and a listening room at night. Without forced transitions, without reorganizing anything.

"I like not having to decide where I am. I just am."

In compact apartments, designing with this logic is not a resource. It is the most honest decision one can make.

The terrace as part of the interior

The views are among the most powerful aspects of the project. And the design treats them as what they are: another material.

The interior porcelain stoneware picks up the tones of the terrace flooring. The openings are wide. Storage is concentrated on the bedroom wall to keep the rest clean and preserve the visual connection to the outside.

The result is that the city enters even when you are inside. Not as a backdrop, but as a presence.

The materials complement this. LACA Roto enhances the light. Mushroom linoleum provides warmth and durability that requires no special care. The black fireplace introduces contrast and makes the space work equally well in summer and during the colder months.

"In winter, I light the fireplace and still have the terrace in front of me. I don't need anything else."

A well-executed attic renovation goes unnoticed. What is noticed is everything else: that moving around the house is easy, that the light is pleasant, that the space does not dictate any particular way of living.

This penthouse does not tell its inhabitant how to use each corner. It lets her decide, every day, depending on what's happening.

And that, in interior design, is harder to achieve than it seems.