The stone walls of a 16th-century clergy residence have been restored and contrast with new white concrete elements to create El Priorato, a holiday home in Burgos, Spain, designed by local practice Atienza Maure Arquitectos.
The project restored and expanded the original building, which had recently burned down, leaving only the stone arches and walls.
Madrid and Barcelona-based Atienza Maure Arquitectos used a simple palette of materials and shapes that are both contemporary and sensitive to the building’s heritage to create an eight-bedroom holiday home called El Priorato or The Priory.
“Unfortunately, no one had photos of the interior before the structure collapsed, so we had to gather information like we would in an archaeological dig,” Alonso Atienza, co-founder of Atienza Maure Arquitectos, told Dezeen.
“The dichotomy between old and new is resolved through vague and subtle differences in the use of materials and spaces,” he continued.
Due to the building’s steep slope, the first floor was previously a darker storage basement, which influenced the practice’s approach to providing as much natural light as possible.
Because the existing walls are heritage-listed, five skylights, triangular skylights, and a see-through glass floor were created above the new timber roof to illuminate three floors of the building.
“Everything revolves around trying to fill the rooms and the first floor with light, like in the John Thorne House Museum or Fernando Igueras’ Las Canfernos,” Artienza said.
Beneath the original stone vault and the new concrete vault on the ground floor are a series of living areas, a kitchen and a fireplace with a series of small openings leading to the garden to the south.
The ceiling above the first floor is made of vaulted concrete, which was chosen based on fragments of a brick ceiling found in the remains of a collapsed building.
There are seven bedrooms on the ground floor, the bedrooms on the east side of the building are traversed by a corner light well.
While some of these light wells have glass floors, others have balconies overlooking the ground floor that can be covered with wooden shutters for more privacy.
A spiral metal staircase leads to the second floor, while another living room, dining room and kitchen lead out to an expansive outdoor patio framed by preserved sections of the original columns, restored with matching stone.
New white walls contrast with the original stone stucco, with minimal light fixtures, metal mesh railings and wood kitchen cabinets for a subtle contemporary contrast.
Other residential restoration work recently completed in Spain includes a renovation in Tarragona by Nua Arquitectures that contrasts with the building’s original stonework with soft-coloured steel elements.
Elsewhere in Spain, architecture studio Laura Álvarez Architecture used the walls of stone ruins to build a holiday home designed to minimize its environmental impact.
Our most popular newsletter, formerly known as Dezeen Weekly. Published every Thursday with the best reader reviews and the most talked about stories. Plus periodic Dezeen service updates and breaking news.
Published every Tuesday with a selection of the most important news. Plus periodic Dezeen service updates and breaking news.
Daily updates of the latest design and construction jobs posted on Dezeen Jobs. Plus rare news.
News about our Dezeen Awards program, including application deadlines and announcements. Plus periodic updates.
News from the Dezeen Events Guide, a list of the leading design events around the world. Plus periodic updates.
We will only use your email address to send you the newsletters you request. We never share your data with anyone else without your consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email or by sending an email to [email protected].
Our most popular newsletter, formerly known as Dezeen Weekly. Published every Thursday with the best reader reviews and the most talked about stories. Plus periodic Dezeen service updates and breaking news.
Published every Tuesday with a selection of the most important news. Plus periodic Dezeen service updates and breaking news.
Daily updates of the latest design and construction jobs posted on Dezeen Jobs. Plus rare news.
News about our Dezeen Awards program, including application deadlines and announcements. Plus periodic updates.
News from the Dezeen Events Guide, a list of the leading design events around the world. Plus periodic updates.
We will only use your email address to send you the newsletters you request. We never share your data with anyone else without your consent. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each email or by sending an email to [email protected].