This Tiny Apartment in Madrid Takes a Radical Approach to Saving Space

Acclaimed for their nifty storage tactics and clever spatial arrangements, the architects at BURR Studio have again surpassed small-space expectations with one of their latest projects known as JM55. "This time around, we transformed a humble apartment built in the ’70s into an experimental dwelling," says the Madrid-based firm.

Before the remodel, the 430-square-foot apartment had a disjointed layout that included two bedrooms, a bath, a living room, and kitchen. "The independent rooms were strictly compiled, reducing each one’s potential size and function," explains the team of architects. "Our proposed transformation radically opposed this layout, as we sought to dismantle the divisions between spaces and dissolve the limits of each."

In one effort to maximize space, BURR integrated all the main facilities of the home into a central core. "The toilet is the only element that can be isolated," notes the firm. "The rest of the areas merge into one another so that the tenants essentially sleep in the bathroom, as well as shower in the living room."

Another strategy for enhancing the overall sense of space was the reliance on curtains, which allows residents to create temporary pockets of privacy. "In this way, a study capsule can be set up, a bedroom can be isolated, or the kitchen can be hidden," continues the firm.

To add definition to the interiors, the firm implemented curtains, which allow the residents to create temporary pockets of privacy. "In this way, a study capsule can be set up, a bedroom can be isolated, or the kitchen can be hidden," say the architects.

"Further, the curtains that delimit the various spaces materially reflect the activities that are intended to shelter, so that the bedroom is wrapped in a curtain made of quilts, where as the study can be enclosed by a curtain made of folded felt strips." Overall, these space-saving solutions afford the small yet fully equipped dwelling to effectively serve multiple purposes, all while accommodating modern living.

To serve the spaces they define, the curtains are created from materials that "reflect the activities they are intended to shelter," says BURR: the bedroom is wrapped in a soft, airy quilt fabric; the study features a curtain made of dark and heavy felt that collapses like an accordion.

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More from BURR Studio:

A Former Warehouse in Madrid Becomes a Colorful and Adaptable Apartment

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: BURR Studio / @burr.studio (Elena Fuertes, Ramón Martínez, Álvaro Molins, and Jorge Sobejano)

Textile Design: BURR Studio & Rubén Gómez

Photography: Maru Serrano