Plutarco Experimento Transforms a Small Madrid Apartment into an Office for a Graphic Designer.

Oh boy, do we love the work of Madrid-based practice Plutarco around here or what? Founded by Ana Arana and Enrique Ventosa in 2015, the young designers undertake projects in architecture and interiors, branding and identities, installations, exhibitions and products. Their commitment to colour and material experimentation is second to none, and the pair has a knack for elevating the ordinary into something quite special, often on a pretty lean budget.

Their most recent project is a boutique office in Madrid housed in a former apartment, which features the duo’s signature approach to bizarre colour and material combinations that sing.

“When the owner of this small office came to see us, he wanted to make a change in his life,” explain Ana and Enrique. “He had just separated from his partner of the graphic design studio they owned and wanted a fresh new look. He was used to white walls and really austere decoration, so he asked us to give some colour and light to a very narrow and deep space he had bought for himself.”

See more projects by Plutarco on Yellowtrace.

Due to the long “tube-like” proportion of the site, Plutarco employed permeable and moveable partitions so the light could penetrate all the way to the back of the space. The main decision was to design a very transparent entrance with a hallway that separates the home from the street. Meanwhile, the glass brick wall at the end of the office hides the bathroom and storage room while allowing luminosity to access the back room.

The brick wall is visually divided into four sections, with a supporting structure painted in green forming a cross. “The cross is our wink to Luis Barragan’s architecture, and glass bricks to Maison de Verre”, explain the designers.

The metal structures and all the details separating the entrance from the working space remain white to allow more light. “But he wanted colour!!”, said the pair of their client. So, they gave him a bright blue kitchen. The joinery acts as the visual epicentre – it stands out without looking obnoxious. The floor colour wraps up the wall on both sides, while the burnt-yellow bathroom tinges the back of the space in a warm shade that creates a comfortable atmosphere.

Another winner by Plutarco.

[Images courtesy of Plutarco Experimento. Photography by Asier Rua.]