Raúl Sánchez Architects has masterfully crafted the Rosegold Apartment in the vibrant city of Barcelona, Spain. This stunning abode spans across 85 square meters and was originally part of a larger apartment that was cleverly divided into two separate spaces. With facades on Enric Granados Street and a delightful interior courtyard, this apartment offers the best of both worlds.
The architects took great care in preserving the apartment’s unique features, such as the intricate ‘nolla’ mosaic flooring, which proudly displays exquisite drawings and vibrant colors. As you step inside, you’ll find that the entrance has been relocated to the interior, leading you towards a spacious gallery room that offers a breathtaking view of the courtyard.
Within this compact space, the architects strategically positioned two bedrooms towards the interior courtyards, allowing the living areas to seamlessly connect with the backyard. The use of metal-clad fronts with a rosegold finish guides visitors from the entrance to the daytime spaces, with only a brief interruption by dark blue lacquered wooden shelves.
One of the most captivating aspects of this apartment is the transition in height, beautifully highlighted by original wooden beams. This transition extends through partitions, creating a sense of visual continuity throughout the space. To further enhance this variation in height, a subtle change in color adds an extra touch of elegance.
During the construction process, the design team led by Raúl Sánchez took great care in preserving and restoring the original flooring to its former glory. In areas where the mosaic was missing, they opted for new microcement flooring with a subtly broken white finish. The rosegold theme was also extended to the kitchen, where a Portuguese pink marble made from rejected pieces was chosen, resulting in a unique assembly.
Both bedrooms were designed with small annexes that serve as dressing rooms and have their own bathrooms, with one of them accessible from the hallway. These rooms are furnished with water-resistant varnished MDF boards, which is a material that is also used for the shelves and cabinet handles throughout the space.
In the living room, a section of the existing wall between two passageways that connect it to the gallery was adorned with gold leaf, effectively concealing its load-bearing function. This addition adds a more symbolic and abstract presence to the room, acting as a conduit to the exterior and reflecting light from the backyard. As a result, when entering the hallway from the entrance, one’s view towards the opposite end reveals the exterior next to the wall covered in gold leaf.