DESIGN
Madrid's Casa de Aluminio
In the 1930s, the Empire State Building was the first major building project to use aluminium on a large scale.
10 August, 2016
Since then, aluminium has become a key component of many home and office projects.
Now architect Francisco Silvestre, known for his minimalist style in designing homes and buildings with modern appeal and even more modern materials, is getting widespread attention for a stunning home in Madrid clad entirely in aluminium. The metals choice creates surfaces that reflect light, color, the mature trees and gardens of the landscape, and the shimmer of the swimming pool at night. But Silvestre's commitment to simplicity in the horizontal home sacrifices nothing in space or amenities.
The Madrid project reflects Silvestre's preference for monochrome and grayscale in both design and décor, whether inside or out. The horizontal alignment of the building gives the illusion of a single story, reflected in the rectangular lines of the outdoor pool that is fully integrated into the architectural plan. At the same time, the low profile contrasts with the height and framing of the natural environment.
In addition to the innovative aluminium cladding – a feature that caused Jared Paul Stern, writing for Maxim, to lament how progressive European architecture has become as America lags behind – the design includes innovative approaches that show off Silvestre's mastery.
In addition to the innovative aluminium cladding – a feature that caused Jared Paul Stern, writing for Maxim, to lament how progressive European architecture has become as America lags behind – the design includes innovative approaches that show off Silvestre's mastery.
Among them is the stone floor inside the home that extends outdoors, beyond the full-height glass panels to surround the pool. The second story extends beyond the first-floor base in a modified T-shape, creating both a deck above the pool that is accessible to all upstairs rooms as well as soothing shaded terraces below.
One impressive detail of the home lies in Silvestre's passion for protecting vistas and visual lines. The upstairs deck appears to be open but actually uses glass, uninterrupted by framing, to create a railing.
That's true of the staircases as well, with glass panels taking the place of banisters or walls that would close the space – an important note inside the Madrid home, because the stairs serve as the centerpiece to unite the flow of the structure and orient all the rooms toward the indoor atrium and the gardens.
Image: Fran Silvestre Architects/PlataformaArquitectura.cl
One impressive detail of the home lies in Silvestre's passion for protecting vistas and visual lines. The upstairs deck appears to be open but actually uses glass, uninterrupted by framing, to create a railing.
That's true of the staircases as well, with glass panels taking the place of banisters or walls that would close the space – an important note inside the Madrid home, because the stairs serve as the centerpiece to unite the flow of the structure and orient all the rooms toward the indoor atrium and the gardens.
Image: Fran Silvestre Architects/PlataformaArquitectura.cl
Stern notes how Silvestre's choice of materials that aren't traditionally considered for construction, like concrete and aluminium, take a more technologically advanced approach to residential home design. The new modern, with an emphasis on lower construction costs and sensitivity to light, landscape, and the environment, creates inspiration as it makes sustainability a priority that enhances quality of life.
The Madrid home demonstrates that understanding in the most astute attention to detail, whether in the placement of its many skylights – they echo the building's long lines, while bathing the interior in light and warmth – or the exceptional kitchen.
The latter shares the architectural lines, with a black center island against the marble floor surrounded by smooth, continuous cabinets and counters. Even the bath fixtures extend the lines, with water that streams from a horizontal faucet to create a waterfall effect.
That's true of the furniture, floor-to-ceiling storage closets, even the recessed doors for rooms.
The latter shares the architectural lines, with a black center island against the marble floor surrounded by smooth, continuous cabinets and counters. Even the bath fixtures extend the lines, with water that streams from a horizontal faucet to create a waterfall effect.
That's true of the furniture, floor-to-ceiling storage closets, even the recessed doors for rooms.
Silvestre's aluminium creation is striking by day, but it's at night – with light spilling out above the pool, and reflecting the home in layers along both the water and the exterior cladding – when the Madrid home really shines. That's also when the privacy of the home really gets noticed; for all its openness and visibility, and its light-and-white grandeur, the building is shielded by landscaping on all sides.
Mature trees rise toward the stars above the pool and flat roof, while rows of well-tended conifers by the dozen line up like sentinels to guard the home's privacy and peace, adding texture to the crisp lines and cool materials that make Silvestre's Madrid project a winning experiment in architecture.
Banner image: Fran Silvestre Architects/PlataformaArquitectura.cl.