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Exterior of BSP20 House by Raúl Sánchez Architects

Four-storey spiral staircase forms focal point of BSP20 House in Barcelona

A towering spiral staircase and a golden kitchen are some of the features that Raúl Sánchez Architects has introduced in its renovation of this townhouse in Barcelona's Borne neighbourhood.

BSP20 House has been in the making since 2013, when Raúl Sánchez Architects was approached by the building's owners to turn it into a live-work space where they could stay during visits to the city.

A white spiral staircase rises up from the ground floor

However, due to regulatory issues, construction works didn't begin for another seven years. During this period the already dilapidated building fell into further ruin, and at one point was even used as a squat.

When the renovation finally got underway in August 2020, Raúl Sánchez Architects decided to completely gut the building, only leaving behind the four exterior walls and roof.

This level of the home also features a brass kitchen suite

As a result, three new floor levels have been inserted, each installed in such a way so that they don't touch the building's front or rear facades.

Some of the resulting gaps have been filled with panes of glass, allowing residents to steal glimpses of different levels of the home.

The staircase grants access to each of the home's four levels

A huge void on the right side of BSP20's interior now accommodates a white spiral staircase that winds up through the ground, first, second and third floors, all the way to the decked terrace on top of the building.

Positioned directly above the stairs is a glazed opening that lets natural light filter deep into the plan.

Rooms have largely been left empty so they can be used for different purposes

Seeing the building in such a bare state at the beginning of the renovation process encouraged Raul Sanchez Architects to keep its rough, time-worn brick walls.

"Those four walls, over 15 metres high, are a museum of the building's history, where any trace of its construction, and of its use, will be left unaltered, exposed in all its crudeness," said the studio.

Raúl Sánchez Architects has preserved the building's original brick walls

A similarly hands-off approach has been taken with the rest of the interior; most rooms have been largely left without fixtures and fittings so that, if necessary, they can be used for different purposes in the future.

On the ground floor there is a kitchen, its cabinetry crafted from lustrous brass.

"In terms of materiality, a certain refinement has been pursued in the new elements to be implemented, in opposition to the crude expressiveness of the existing walls, conscious that the space must house a home," explained the studio.

Natural light seeps in from a glazed opening above the staircase

On the second floor there is only a bathroom lined with cream-coloured lacquered wood, finished with gold-tone hardware.

The electrics, air-conditioning system and telephone wires have also been concealed within six steel tubes that run upwards through the home.

Pale lacquered wood lines surfaces in the bathroom

When it came to restoring BSP20's facade, the practice had to follow strict heritage guidelines – but it was granted more freedom in the appearance of the front door.

It's now clad with three different types of aluminium, and features a graphic rhomboidal design that nods to the patterned hydraulic floor tiles seen inside the house.

The home was given a new geometric-print front door

Raúl Sánchez Architects has completed several residential projects in its home city of Barcelona.

Others include The Magic Box Apartment, which features a huge gold wardrobe, and Atic Aribau, which has bright, stripped-back interiors.

Photography is by José Hevia.


Project credits:

Architecture: Raúl Sánchez
Architecture team: Valentina Barberio, Paolo Burattini
Structure consultant: Diagonal Arquitectura
Engineering: Marés Ingenieros

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