In Barcelona’s elegant Eixample neighborhood, an apartment in a listed 1907 building was renovated by Nicola Tremacoldi Architects. The vision was to maintain many of the original features while updating it with contemporary elements that complement the modernist style for which Eixample is known.

Previous renovations had altered some of the historic structure, which the firm restored and reconceived. They tore down a false ceiling in the grand entrance hall to reveal the original while incorporating air conditioning and new electrical and plumbing systems.

The three-bedroom, two-bath residence also features a reconfigured kitchen. For that, the firm combined two rooms, creating a more open, communal space that includes a hanging wall from the original ceiling—a mannerist flourish in the modernist interior.

The architects also selected several Vibia fixtures to illuminate the space. Suspended in the living room is the LED-powered Flamingo hanging designed by Antoni Arola. Recalling a bird in flight, the ethereal form draws the eye upward to the elaborate period carvings adorning the ceiling.

Flamingo’s black-and-white color scheme nods to the graphic palette of the furnishings and offers a counterpoint to the colorful Spanish-tile floor. Its sculptural form hovers overhead and, when illuminated, creates double halos of warm light.

In the dining area is Toan Nguyen’s Algorithm, which provides a visual anchor in the open space. Handblown glass spheres of LED light are suspended at different heights and affixed to the ceiling with a floating tubular structure.

Like a sparkling constellation of illuminated drops, it appears to float mid-air above the table, its grid-like geometry and sleek craftsmanship offsetting the rough-hewn wooden table below.

The bathroom is brightened by a pair of Scotch wall lamps designed by Oscar & Sergi Devesa. At once subtle and strong, Scotch’s thick, pressed-glass diffuser evokes an ice sculpture.

Its simple, spherical silhouette matches the bathroom’s serene, spa-like mood, lending an understated accent and casting a wash of ambient light.


Photo Credits: Jordi Miralles