Compact Madrid Apartment by Manuel Ocana

It’s all well and good we regularly get to indulge in a bunch of super hot, high budget interiors set within vast spaces. But how does one create something ingenious with very little budget AND in a small shell? Manuel Ocaña gave it a red hot go with this clever little renovation of a 51sqm apartment in Madrid, Spain.

The interior is built upon original timber flooring, consisting of three bays measuring 17sqm each. Designed for a single woman who was clear in her brief about what she wanted – a space that incorporated a tattoo inspired by Beyonce. (What? Does Beyonce have a tattoo? I mean, who knew. But more importantly – who cares?!)

The design team instantly decided on three guiding principles for the project. First – the apartment would not have any conventional partitions and doors. Second – the ceiling shall never be touched with anything opaque. Third (and the most challenging principle of all) – creating a sense of illusion in 51sqm of space.

The space is divided with nothing other than furniture, and glass or mirrored partitions. A central mirrored volume, measuring 5×2.2×2.2m creates a sense of tripped-out joy, acting as the central element and an optical illusion that amplifies the dimensions of the perceived space.

IKEA furniture becomes the formwork from which the partitions are set out. The glass partitions are framed in 10mm raw steel U-channels. The 166 glass pieces used in the project are all identical in size, and measure only 3mm in thickness (is that shit legal in this country?), thereby increasing the transparency and anti-reflection issues associated with thicker laminated glass.

Cheap and cheerful, but looking pretty fresh. Sure it could use some better furniture, but overall – a big tick from me.