barbara appolloni converts a garage into a stylish 'shoebox' apartment in barcelona

on a narrow site in barcelona, barbara appolloni arquitecta has carved a haven of exposed concrete and glass from a former car garage. designed from the inside out, the original building has been shaped into a ‘shoebox style’ apartment where architecture becomes part of the interior decoration, resulting in a series of beautifully contemporary living spaces.

dining next to the inner void as a light source

all images © christopher stark

on the plot measuring 3.60m x 10m, the original construction has been reinforced with more than 200 tons of concrete poured on site, turning the garage into a more robust residential structure. the house has been designed by barbara appolloni to be in constant dialogue with the outside. the boundaries between inside and outside are blurred, allowing the interior to embrace the surrounding environment and views over the city. with frameless glass openings and delicate railings, the architecture focuses on removing barriers by removing the divisions between house and nature.

dining table with transparent methacrylat cross legs and a square glass top, vintage wooden chairs with sofa matching satin upholstering, and photograph art piece by maite carames

the interior decor and furniture pieces have been carefully chosen to harmonize with each other. the careful selection of materials offers a palette where concrete is combined with chestnut wood, stainless steel, carrara marble and glass, resulting in a space that is both welcoming and sophisticated. the pieces also relate to the setting, with sabine marceli’s round mirror and satin sofa chosen to match barcelona’s rusty red colored rooftops. from this cozy and intimate living space, residents can also enjoy a view of the surrounding vegetation and the urban environment below.

the living room is blocked off from the the dining area, where sabine marceli’s colour block mirror matches the rusty colored satin sofa

access to the terrace is located straight from the entrance level to avoid extra built volume on the roof

the zig zag concrete table functions as an office desk

the guest toilet is a minimalist concrete cell softened by a warm chestnut wooden sliding door and antoni lupi’s sink and CEA’s faucets

the kitchen is for stainless steel lovers – the 2.4 m wide kitchen is from santos and top and sink from barazza

a prefabricated concrete staircase reaches down to the sleeping room with USM side desks and a multi-use chestnut hanger from danish company PERUSE

the bathroom with carrara marble plus polished concrete floor and raw concrete ceiling

positioned next to the interior void, the bathroom provides the feeling of showering almost outside – art piece by photographer horst p. horst

for the cupboards raw concrete is mixed with warm chestnut wood elements

the incredible view from the living room thanks to frameless glass corner – the sofa color matches the rusty red barcelona rooftops

project info:

project name: designer ‘shoebox’ apartment

location: barcelona, spain

architect: barbara appolloni arquitecta

photography: christopher stark

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom