In Madrid, the architecture firm ZOOCO ESTUDIO intervenes on an early 20th-century residence with a project that redefines the relationship between matter, memory, and domestic space. Casa Cientoonce emerges from a gesture of subtraction and respect, restoring dignity to the original masonry architecture of one of the historic “colonias” built in the 1920s under the “Ley de las Casas Baratas.” It is a process of revelation that brings to light the constructive and spatial qualities of a building long concealed beneath almost a century of transformations.
Marked by decades of interventions, stratifications, and modifications by successive owners, the property had become a fragmented and overloaded organism, making it difficult to read its authentic architectural features. For this reason, the project focused on stripping the interiors bare—removing false ceilings and additions—to uncover the original structure. Among these, the discovery of Catalan vaults stands out: a rare construction feature in Madrid, yet one of exceptional spatial quality and historical value.
Following a meticulous restoration, these vaults once again define the interior atmosphere, becoming the identity-giving element of the project. The layout, organized as a sequence of interconnected rooms, is restored to its original logic, reinforcing the reading of the house as a compact, inward-looking masonry organism with an almost rural scale.
From a material standpoint, Casa Cientoonce adopts a simple and coherent palette: exposed brick walls are combined with oak wood flooring, furnishings, and carpentry, while white-painted surfaces provide brightness and spatial continuity. The project becomes a reflection on essentiality and the importance of restoring dignity to the built environment through a calibrated, respectful, and thoughtful architectural gesture.
CREDITS
Project: Casa Cientoonce
Architects: ZOOCO ESTUDIO
Location: Madrid, Spain
Year: 2022
Photography: Imagen Subliminal
