Hidden Madrid Warehouse Transformed Into Light-Filled Artist Studio by Día Uno Estudio.

Hidden within the courtyard walls of a peripheral Madrid neighbourhood, a 1950s mechanical workshop has found new life as an artist’s sanctuary thanks to Día Uno Estudio.

Dubbed Nave Maravilla, the 180-square-metre warehouse, with its characteristic concrete structure and pitched roof typical of mid-century industrial architecture, had suffered years of neglect. Rather than masking its history, architects Marta A. Rozas and Cris San José embraced the building’s raw industrial bones, creating what they describe as a “white container” that celebrates existing elements and textures.

The design strategy was restrained. After treating dampness issues, the team painted the walls while preserving their original texture, allowing the building’s weathered character to shine through the clean aesthetic. A continuous microcement floor creates spatial fluidity throughout the warehouse, unifying the various functional zones while maintaining the industrial feel.

The project’s most striking intervention is a freestanding birch ply and glass pavilion positioned at the warehouse’s centre. This organic insertion breaks the orthogonal rigidity of the industrial shell, creating dynamic spatial relationships while housing the artist’s private studio. The timber volume’s curved form introduces warmth and intimacy within the larger concrete container.

A House of Many Faces: Warehouse Transformation in Porto by Fala Atelier.

Fala Atelier turned this Porto warehouse into one massive living room, interrupted only by a single curved wall. A kitchen and monumental fireplace act as familiar landmarks, placating domesticity.

On one side of the central pavilion lies the luminous private studio, while the opposite area offers flexible space adaptable to various artistic activities. A white curtain system allows for the creation of an isolated projection space, adding another layer of functionality to the adaptive design. The kitchen, office area, and service spaces complete the programme without overwhelming the open industrial character.

Visual cohesion comes through material details that thread throughout the space. Custom-designed birch furniture echoes the central pavilion’s materiality, while blue metalwork accents create visual connections from interior to facade. These consistent design elements generate unity without sacrificing the building’s authentic industrial character.

Día Uno’s approach to Nave Maravilla showcases the potential of thoughtful industrial restoration. By respecting the warehouse’s structural logic while introducing contemporary functionality, they’ve created a space that serves its new artistic purpose.

What Dreams are Made of: Film Noir Studio in Geneva by Leopold Banchini Architects & Giona Bierens de Haan.

Emerging as a modern canvas that echoes the film noir genre’s lasting allure, cinematic moments are artfully lit by oversized (moon) lights that cast an ethereal glow, turning empty corners and alleyways into a canvas for noir-inspired tales.

[Images courtesy of Día Uno Estudio. Photography by Javier de Paz García.]