A Heavenly Home in a 16th-Century Church Seeks €1.6M in Northern Spain
A formerly abandoned chapel in Basque country has been brilliantly transformed by Garmendia Cordero Arquitectos.
![A Heavenly Home in a 16th-Century Church Seeks €1.6M in Northern Spain](https://images.dwell.com/photos-6063391372700811264/6798987307300745216-small/large-glass-doors-sweep-ample-natural-light-inside-while-also-encouraging-indooroutdoor-living.jpg?#)
A formerly abandoned chapel in Basque country has been brilliantly transformed by Garmendia Cordero Arquitectos.
![Large glass doors sweep ample natural light inside while also encouraging indoor/outdoor living.](https://images.dwell.com/photos-6063391372700811264/6798987307300745216-large/large-glass-doors-sweep-ample-natural-light-inside-while-also-encouraging-indooroutdoor-living.jpg)
On the edge of a green ravine in Spain’s northern Basque country, the Chapel House was a crumbling, 16th-century church when the current owner, Tas Careaga, bought it and enlisted his friend, architect Carlos Garmendia, to turn it into a contemporary home. The structure had been abandoned since the late 1970s, and the renovation would take three years, ultimately landing in the pages of Dwell.
!["I need you. I bought a f*cking church!" With this blunt text message to his friend, architect Carlos Garmendia of Garmendia Cordero Arquitectos, Tas Careaga kicked off a three-year design adventure. Here’s the exterior of the 16th-century Basque church near Bilbao, Spain.](https://images.dwell.com/photos-6063391372700811264/6569823029288206336-medium/i-need-you-i-bought-a-fcking-church-with-this-blunt-text-message-to-his-friend-architect-carlos-garmendia-of-garmendia-cordero-arquitectos-tas-careaga-kicked-off-a-three-year-design-adventure-heres-the-exterior-of-the-16th-century-basque-church-near-bilba.jpg)
The 16th-century Basque church that Tas Careaga and architect Carlos Garmendia converted sits in the small town of Sopuerta, Spain, about a half hour west of Bilbao. The lush lot is flanked by a wooded hillside.
Photo by Gregori Civera
![Inside, polished cement lines the ground level, contrasting with the structure's centuries-old stone and plaster. An open-tread staircase leads to the two-story loft.](https://images.dwell.com/photos-6063391372700811264/6798987308317204480-medium/inside-polished-cement-lines-the-ground-level-contrasting-with-the-structures-centuries-old-stone-and-plaster-an-open-tread-staircase-leads-to-the-two-story-loft.jpg)
Inside, polished cement floors cover the ground level, contrasting with the structure’s centuries-old stone and plaster. An open-tread staircase leads to the two-story loft.
Photo courtesy of The Singular Space. Extraordinary Properties
"[Tas] has done a breathtaking job of blending Renaissance and modern aesthetics, creating a thoroughly contemporary living space with an exalted and meditative atmosphere," says listing agent Ana Vela. "This is a truly unique home that will captivate artists and art-lovers alike."
![The well-lit kitchen sits in the apse and features a central island, as well as custom cabinetry.](https://images.dwell.com/photos-6063391372700811264/6798987308293926912-medium/the-well-lit-kitchen-sits-in-the-apse-and-features-a-central-island-as-well-as-custom-cabinetry.jpg)
The kitchen, which boasts custom cabinetry, occupies the apse.
Photo courtesy of The Singular Space. Extraordinary Properties
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Heavenly Home in a 16th-Century Church Seeks €1.6M in Northern Spain
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