AN ART COLLECTOR’S HOME

At the exclusive “La Finca” development of Madrid, we were tasked with building a large home that would be able to accommodate a significant collection of contemporary art. Our studio was also tasked with selecting and installing all the design furnishings.

A nine-meter-high concrete shell was used as a basis for this home which measures 800 m². An immense central space was left open and two cubes made of weathering steel were hashed out and suspended in a corner of that space: one for the main bedroom, bathroom, and walk-in closets and a second one –attached to the first via a walkway– for a computer systems room, something quite necessary as the entire home is robotic and controlled with a Lutron automation system for opening doors, windows, etc. with fingerprint and voice commands.

Two stainless kitchens were built in the home. One is a conventional kitchen for the cook and another one is a bit more intimate and designed for the client, who is a fan of Japanese cuisine. In the basement, giving way to a large courtyard, an indoor pool was built with an integrated home theater system and a cinema room that can seat 30. There are also several staff bedrooms and a garage for up to four cars.

The materials chosen were concrete, Wenge wood flooring, and limestone for the pools. The gardening masterpiece was done by Fernando Pozuelo. At the customer’s express request, we are not showing the home’s full exterior in our photos here, although the its interior has been a feature story in a number of architecture magazines.