An Italian Renaissance Concept Inspires a Contemporary Madrid Apartment Renovation

Architect Eduardo Mediero created a room within a room to make the most of the modest space he shares with his partner.

Sep 10, 2024 - 15:34
An Italian Renaissance Concept Inspires a Contemporary Madrid Apartment Renovation

Architect Eduardo Mediero created a room within a room to make the most of the modest space he shares with his partner.

For Eduardo Mediero, impermanence is not a problem. That’s a strange characteristic for an architect—his job is to shape the world around him and leave a mark on its surface. But when Eduardo founded his studio, Hanghar, in 2021, he decided he would close his practice after exactly 10 years. Some might find this deadline for self-destruction suffocating; for Eduardo, it felt like freedom.

Inspired by the 15th-century Italian studiolo—a room within a room—architect Eduardo Mediero used walls of MDF cabinetry to partition the 500-square-foot apartment he shares with his partner, Pelayo del Pozo, in a 1970s building in Madrid.

Inspired by the 15th-century Italian studiolo—a room within a room—architect Eduardo Mediero used walls of MDF cabinetry to partition the 500-square-foot apartment he shares with his partner in a 1970s building in Madrid. 

Photo: Carlos Chavarría

"I see it as complete liberation. I don’t have the pressure of a forty-year-long career on my shoulders," he says. More than three years into the project, he still feels excited by the premise: "I can move so much faster. I make decisions so much faster because I only have seven years left."

A metal ceiling and flooring made of Artigo rubber reflect daylight streaming through industrial blinds.

A metal ceiling and flooring made of Artigo rubber reflect daylight streaming through industrial blinds. "I like taking materials from other areas and using them in housing," says Eduardo. His favorite item in the apartment is the Triangolo chair from Frama, a gift from Pelayo. The marble-topped dining table is paired with 611 chairs by Alvar Aalto for Artek, and the small red lamp is by Kauani.

Photo: Carlos Chavarría

"Part of what makes this place special is its relationship with the outside, with the cityscape and sky."

—Eduardo Mediero, architect and resident

Photo: Carlos Chavarría

See the full story on Dwell.com: An Italian Renaissance Concept Inspires a Contemporary Madrid Apartment Renovation
Related stories:

Read More at Dwell