A Spanish House's Addition Looks Like an Ultra-Modern Helmet

The Spanish town of Torre de la Horadada in Alicante was once a fishing port along the Mediterranean coast, but since it’s become a popular tourist destination, the town has been forced to modernize quickly in order to cope with the influx of seasonal visitors—challenging a lot of its traditional architecture.

Text by

Michele Koh Morollo

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This adaptation has resulted in the loss of much of its local architecture, which has since been replaced with flat-roof terrace houses that sit wall-to-wall with their neighbors.

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Luckily, property owners in the town are allowed to build on top of their flat roofs, with the only construction restrictions being height and property boundaries.

One such terrace house is The Beach House, which was extended up from the roof in order to accommodate its owners' children and grandchildren. This new extension measures 1,000 square feet.

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To help the house stand out from the other homes along the row, Murcia-based studio Laura Ortín Arquitectura designed a striking, asymmetrical roof addition, which looks a little like a white, beveled helmet.

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The load-bearing walls of the main house on the ground level support the extension, which is constructed of a metal structure that's clad in thermally insulated panels. The exterior follows the color of the wind turbines found in parts of Alicante, so it harmonizes with the clouds on a sunny day.

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Stairs located in the front yard lead up to the lower level of the extension. Thus, the new addition is essentially isolated from the existing home on the ground floor.

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The lower level houses a living room and a kitchen with glass-sliding doors that open onto a street-facing balcony, a master bedroom concealed behind opaque glass doors, and a room with two single beds.

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Hidden behind the wall of the living area is a staircase leading up to a mezzanine loft that serves as a relaxing lounging nook during the day, while doubling as an additional sleeping space at night.

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The upper corner of this mezzanine loft features a window that’s angled to face the town’s 16th-century watchtower.

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The back wall of the loft has a door that leads out to a high-walled, open-air roof deck where residents can stargaze at night.

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Within the extension, plywood details, simple, light-colored furniture, and terrazzo floors custom designed by Laura Ortín Arquitectura give the new addition a low-maintenance and relaxed atmosphere.