Madrid Apartment Façade

JournalDesign

Madrid Apartment Façade

Weathered exterior has character...

Who said beauty has to be more than skin deep? Just listen to half the actors in Hollywood being interviewed. We don’t mind getting a bit shallow here at We Heart; not everything enjoyable or worthwhile in life is an intellectual exercise, and this apartment in Madrid is the perfect example of when not to scratch the surface too much. It’s pretty scratched already.

This isn’t your conventional beauty, however, more Roseanna Arquette than Patricia in fact. The façade in San Vicente Ferrer by architects James & Mau uses slats made from a type of steel called Corten which is purposefully weathered, forming a stable layer of rust over time and eliminating the need for painting. So far, so plainer-looking sister, but when the sun goes down a cinematic transformation happens and all the prettiness comes out to party, each room is disco-esque backlit by a different colour. Quite a show.

The slats also do that cool-when-it’s-hot, warm-when-it’s-cold thing inside that’s so useful in sunny climes, and can be tilted opened like a Venetian blind or flung open like a shutter. A versatile performer, as well as being a bit filthy looking…

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