Bathing in the centre of the house: a bright home with an undeniable scenographic touch

A ground floor in Barcelona, ​​one of those that are the base of the terrace of a block centre, has gone from being a long and narrow, dark and very fragmented house, to being a bright home with an undeniable scenographic point. The key to this renovation project signed by CRÜ – an architecture studio led by Joan Astallé in collaboration with Lluís Salvatella and Jana Amengual – is having been able to understand the importance of the tiny patio that was practically in the centre of the old house. And above all, having seen the transformative possibilities of that space that was once residual.

That patio was so small that we can say it was the size of a bathtub. We can say this after observing what CRÜ has done to radically change the appearance and also the way of living in the house: the architects have knocked down the vertical limitations of the old patio and, with a structure of iron beams, have created a kind of atrium that becomes a neuralgic space of the home. Now it's the place to treat yourself to a relaxing bath, but it has many more benefits. Built on a platform about half a meter high from the general level, the central bathtub is also the place that centralizes the wet services of the house. It hides the pipes that supply the sink on one side of the bathtub; those that go to the kitchen sink on the other side, and also allows for the planters of quite exuberant plants that surround the bathroom and, in addition, are a great backdrop for the kitchen and the dining room.

But that is not all that this central space brings to the house. CRÜ has installed a large skylight as the roof of the small patio. Thus, the couple living there can not only take a bath with the sky above them, but it is also the space through which a great deal of light enters a house that, like other entrances, only has two ends. Furthermore, as the skylight has a mechanism to open it, it makes it easier to ventilate the house.

According to those responsible for the renovation project, one of the most positive aspects of this central space for the bathroom, light and vegetation is that it is decisive for the layout of the house. It is, without a doubt, an original layout due to the open way in which the different rooms are connected and because a good part of this house has no partitions. In fact, from the entrance to the home, a wardrobe unit leads on both sides to a multifunctional space, which can be a living room, study or a second bedroom if needed. It is the same type of furniture that exists in the master bedroom, a room that is in direct and open relation with the central bathroom of the house, the most recreational space. Of course, with access from the owners' room there is a bathroom with shower and toilet, of total privacy. As is also, closed and intimate, a small bathroom for visitors.

In any case, it is interesting to see how the new layout of this house, from the entrance to the terrace – which has a small pond – has generated a sequence of spaces that favours fluid circulation, not only physically, but also visually. But at the same time, the intimacy of the rooms is maintained, thanks to the different levels and dividing elements as friendly as good plants.