The Chapel House. A house extension at the Pine grove of Conde, Orgaz, Madrid, Spain, 2018
The Chapel House responds to the particular needs of the clients. It is a marriage with nine children who have strong religious feelings. The result seeks harmony with the existing home by introducing four objects that generate a spatial and functional change through four architectural operations.
1. Attach = Pavilion. The new pavilion is located in the footprint of an old garage construction. The use-change and an elongated and rhythmic volume build a cozy interior, linking the pool with the garden. The curved wall invites one to discover the back house and a 6-meter large wood window gives light and serves at the same time as a facade for the large pines on the existing plot. From this volume, there is a lower and narrower sub-pavilion, parallel to the main house, which hides the necessary uses to store bicycles and make barbecues on sunny days.
2. Insert = Main bedroom. Due to the large family, a request from the clients was to be able to insert a mini apartment for them into the home. It is a new, open, and tidy room. The materials are in line with the reform and the new bedroom aims to be an oasis of intimacy from the bustle of nine children. The bathroom is integrated through the use of oak wood lattices that characterize the space without losing privacy.
3. Sift = Porch. The use of the pool changes completely through a space in the shade and a new pavement. In front of the pavilion and on the other side of the pool a complex and light structure is built where one can set a table and enjoy a meeting under the shadow of nature. The metal structure orders the space, builds a framework for the vegetation, allows privacy from the neighbor, and creates a sieve for the hot months.
4. Excavate = Chapel. This extension would not be the same if it did not have the prominence of the buried chapel. As if it were a hidden chest, the family introduces the place of worship on the foundations of the old house. The furniture has been entirely made to measure, where the section of each element reproduces the symbol of the cross to convey greater coherence with the prayer space. There are two clearly differentiated worlds, the earthly place in earth colors and rough walls in front of the bright and sober altar that is built with white marble and noble metals such as iron and bronze.
Architect: Ignacio HornillosDesign Team: Manuel Torrejón and Alberto GarcíaClient: PrivatePhotographer: Fernando Alda
