Spain-based studio Gon Architects have teamed up with architect Ana Torres to renovate an apartment into a single occupancy bachelor pad in Madrid’s Malasaña neighbourhood. Sequence House is planned linearly along a compact space of 124 sqm, with an unassuming array of spaces brought together and separated at the same time by chunks of solid primary colours. The house reveals a clever arrangement of planned spaces, colours and the right décor that maximises every inch of the space.

The Sequence House is designed along the lines of a traditional Madrid flat – a system of load bearing walls stand parallel to a façade that encloses a set of rooms behind it, which revolve around interior courtyards, divided and connected by a common corridor. The interior design of the Sequence House has been planned along a length of 21 metres, with a series of rooms that are connected by a slim corridor laid along one of the longer sides. Gon Architects brought down a few of the existing internal walls to open up the space.

The concept of the residential design is ‘stay’, with a sequence of domestic ‘scenes’ that link the house - spaces that showcase a performance of lifestyle actions such as resting, working, cleaning and cooking - demarcated by colours that symbolise these actions. Strips, corners and walls of the largely white house with wooden flooring are rendered in bright yellow, red and blue, specifying various activity spots, and visually connecting and isolating the space simultaneously. “The corners of the rooms, formerly cul de sacs, are understood as areas of opportunity to experiment through visual elements that turn the space into a curve and constitute through the use of colour and lighting, in a symbolic way, the place where an action takes place,” says Gonzalo Pardo, Head Architect, Gon Architects.

Two strips of red run along the wall and ceiling of the open living area at one far end of the Sequence House, separating the space visually into three separate parts, which open out into three small space balconies - a tiny lounge with light bookshelves lining two walls, a small foyer in the centre, followed by a sitting area and a study, clubbed with a large potted plant in the corner. The accessories, rugs, lighting fixtures and furniture in the house are also specifically multicolored, which further animates the light filled home.

The centre of the apartment is taken up mostly by the kitchen, dining and storage area. Two slender columns stand in the middle of the house, giving it an illusion of a much larger and open space. The kitchen and cabinets are painted an upbeat blue, separating the action of cooking and cleaning utensils from sitting down and eating. The narrow corridor then leads next to a washroom with large mirrors and bright yellow square tiles affixed on white walls.

The bedroom brings up the back of the Sequence House, a large slice of its wall and floor painted rust red, demarcating the reading area from the white bed and closet behind. The Sequence House also observes fluid, flexible features such as sliding doors that disappear into the wall to open up a space, or shut off a previously opened area. Slight relief and variety is provided in the interiors in the form of small punctures in the walls, tiny framed windows and leafy interior plants.  

Gon Architects reveal a quirky, cosy and light filled layout that plays cleverly with the space constraints of the existing structure. The use of primary colours builds on the playful, relaxed character of the one bedroom studio apartment. Just because a flat is small in size, doesn’t mean it has to feel constrained and tiny! 

Project Details

Name: Sequence House
Location: Madrid, Spain
Area: 124 sqm
Year of completion: 2020
Architect: Gon Architects and Ana Torres
Team: Alejandro Sánchez, Carlos Barranco, Clara Dios
Construction: Serviteco Obras s.l
Carpentry: Alma Ebanistería s.l
Flooring: delSer s.a.
Kitchen: Barronkress s.l
Lighting: Oliva Iluminación s.a