A Memorable Madrid Home That Is An Ode To Both Its Past And Future

Studio Noju's tasteful blend of historical elements and contemporary details results in a memorable Madrid home that is an ode to both its past and future

- Hong Xinying

We understand design as something multidisciplinary and holistic. We "W strongly believe that there are no boundaries between creative expressions," declare Antonio Mora and Eduardo Tazón, the founders of Studio Noju. In fact, the name of their firm is a portmanteau of the phrase "not just". "This uneasiness to settle into a particular branch of design was the origin of the name for the office-not just architecture, not just interior design, et cetera," says Mora.

The architecturally trained designers are passionate about both researching and experimenting with the use of materials for each project, including their duplex apartment in Madrid. Located in Torres Blancas, a notable landmark designed by Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza between 1964 and 1972, the building is known for both its striking form and bold use of materials.

"This project is our own home, that we set ourselves up to renovate and turn into our 'cover letter' project. We wanted to invest in a project that portrays our design language and methodology as much as possible. It was a great opportunity to test the feasibility of our own ideas," shares Tazón.

Having studied the landmark in their history of architecture classes at university, the designers were already awed by its form and concept, and to be able to own and design a home within it was indeed a dream come true. They worked closely with Proedisur, a construction company from Seville, to complete the immaculate renovation of their new abode, which they live in with their Shiba Inu pet dog, Haku.

"This was a building where all the conventionalism about inhabiting a residential building was questioned. We never had the opportunity to go inside the building until we first visited it with the real estate agent to see the apartment," says Mora.