Casa Vasto was once an industrial workspace in Poblenou neighbourhood in Barcelona – Spain, which then was transformed into a comfortable home by Mesura Architects.
The flat features a single generous and diaphanous space with windows on three of its walls and an open plan only interrupted by two rows of steel columns. Its peculiar ceiling reproduces the local construction techniques developed during the 19th century by Catalan architect Joan Torras, who introduced beams of equal strength reinforced by a ceramic core and a vaulted shape.
Photo
Salva López
The project prioritises the freedom of use and spaciousness. The floor plan is split in two: a private and public area, with the latter acting as a living room and exhibition space which are divided by a service core detached from walls and ceiling in order to emphasise the lightness and fluidity.
Mesura
The living area is a flexible room with only two fixed pieces: an 8-meter-long stainless-steel kitchen counter and a long off-white table along the opposite wall. The rest of the room spans uninterrupted, allowing the exhibition space to adopt different configurations.
The private area also follows the boundless premise of the project: bedroom and bathroom are merged into a single unit, where the bed, bathtub, and sink become loose elements within the room. A shower, a walk-in closet and a toilet are accommodated at the core.
The intervention encompasses two distinct actions. One is the restoration and enhancement of the existing qualities of the space through construction work. The other involves the design of site-specific interiors elements offering new capacities.
