{"id":47216,"date":"2025-10-23T06:09:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T06:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/bat-reinterpreta-la-memoria-arquitectonica-de-bilbao-con-una-mirada-contemporanea\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T08:22:16","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T08:22:16","slug":"bat-reinterpreta-la-memoria-arquitectonica-de-bilbao-con-una-mirada-contemporanea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/bat-reinterpreta-la-memoria-arquitectonica-de-bilbao-con-una-mirada-contemporanea\/","title":{"rendered":"BAT reinterprets Bilbao\u2019s architectural memory through a contemporary lens"},"content":{"rendered":"

Located on one of the main avenues of the Ensanche, BAT<\/a> studio has turned a historic residence of more than three hundred square meters into a contemporary space where classical spirit and technological comfort live in harmony. The project, aptly named RA Apartment, reinterprets the ornamental language of the twentieth century, transforming it into a statement of classical modernity\u2014a synthesis of memory, innovation, and the art of living.<\/p>\n\n\n

The building that houses the apartment, listed as a heritage site, belongs to the early twentieth-century residential architecture of Bilbao, with carved stone fa\u00e7ades and wrought-iron balconies that evoke the industrial prosperity of the era. BAT draws from that legacy and translates it into the present, preserving the most valuable original features\u2014moldings, noble woodwork, solid wood floors\u2014restored with the help of local artisans, weaving upon them a new spatial narrative of soft lines and serene atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n

The constraints of preservation became an opportunity. The original layout, which had to be maintained, was reinterpreted through a system of arches that reproduce the geometry of the ceilings while freeing the plan at eye level. The result is a renewed sense of openness, where light flows and spaces converse naturally with one another.<\/p>\n\n

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Hall<\/strong>: Bocci 28.13 lamp. Sideboard by Bonaldo Spa. Floor lamps by Vibia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Office<\/strong>: Armchair by Bonaldo Spa. Table lamp by Vibia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Living room<\/strong>: Side tables by Bonaldo Spa. Ceiling light by Luceplan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Dining room: Cattelan table under Bocci 57.13 lamp. Chairs by Potocco Italia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Kitchen<\/strong>: Central island by Xtone Surface by Porcelanosa. Upholstered chairs by Bonaldo Spa. Faucets by Newform.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Light as material<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The journey begins in a hall that acts as a prologue. A Bocci 28.13 lamp\u2014composed of hand-blown glass spheres in shades of red, bottle green, and Bilbao blue\u2014introduces the chromatic palette that unfolds throughout the home. From there, the arches\u2014transformed into architectural language\u2014guide both gaze and movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The large living room, bathed in natural light from the windows, is conceived as the social heart of the home. A red Ditre sofa commands the space like a sculptural centerpiece upon a neutral base of whites and woods, while mirrors and stained glass multiply the urban reflections. In continuity, the dining room features a Cattelan table beneath the Bocci 57.13 lamp, a suspended composition of glass and air that floats like a poetic installation.<\/p>\n\n\n

The kitchen, centered around an island in Xtone Surface (Porcelanosa) and accompanied by upholstered chairs from Bonaldo Spa, opens to the dining room through curved wood-and-glass partitions that reinterpret the old separations. Every element is designed to foster conversation, everyday life, and the pleasure of inhabiting.<\/p>\n\n

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Steinberg faucet and side table.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Ensuite bathroom: Marble block. Steinberg faucets. Venicem wall lights.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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In the private area, the main bedroom exudes calm. Sandy tones, soft textiles, and a freestanding bathtub facing the windows compose a scene of domestic wellbeing. The en suite bathroom, defined by a block of dark marble veined with gold and Steinberg fittings, reinforces the project\u2019s sensory character.<\/p>\n\n\n

The home is organized as two complementary dwellings: one conceived for daily life\u2014living room, kitchen, master suite\u2014and another for family, with independent rooms and bathrooms. The journey culminates in a home cinema lined with Cole & Son wallpapers, where classical fa\u00e7ades and fantastic animals add a playful note to the overall elegance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Invisible technology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Beyond visible beauty, RA Apartment is also a project of technical precision. Underfloor heating and cooling, lighting control, audiovisual systems, and integrated comfort management are orchestrated through cutting-edge home automation\u2014unseen yet omnipresent.<\/p>\n\n\n

The interior design, defined by pieces from Bocci, Bonaldo, Potocco, Marset, Cattelan, Vibia, Porada, and Tooy, balances tradition and contemporaneity. Each room incorporates an accent color\u2014red, green, or sand\u2014serving as an emotional thread that connects the whole. Subtle indoor landscaping introduces living greenery that oxygenates the atmosphere and extends the feeling of continuity.<\/p>\n\n

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Sala de cine<\/strong>: Mesa elevable de Ozzio Italia. Butaca de Ditre. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Modernity with a Bilbao soul<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis project is the result of a knowledgeable client who trusted us to reinterpret a classical language for the twenty-first century. The outcome is not a contemporary dwelling, but an example of classical modernity,\u201d says Xabier Arranz, founding partner of BAT. His colleague Peru Ca\u00f1ada sums it up: \u201cWith RA Apartment, BAT reinforces its vision\u2014to innovate with respect for context, to offer comprehensive management that combines creativity and technique, and to design spaces that study human behavior and elevate the experience of living.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

The project encapsulates the studio\u2019s philosophy: to act upon memory without nostalgia, to design with emotion, to build with precision. RA Apartment is an ode to Bilbao\u2019s elegance, to the craft of architecture, and to the timeless beauty of well-conceived spaces.<\/p>\n\n

Project<\/strong>: RA Apartment.
Location<\/strong>: Calle Rodr\u00edguez Arias (Bilbao).
Area<\/strong>: 305 m2<\/sup>.
Completed<\/strong>: 2024.
Interior Architecture<\/strong>: BAT<\/a>.
Photography<\/strong>: Erlantz Biderbost<\/a>.
Source<\/strong>: BAT.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Peru Ca\u00f1ada and Xabier Arranz, Founding Architects of BAT<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

BAT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the city of Bilbao \u2014a place that has learned to reinvent itself from its own industrial matter and its watery horizon\u2014 BAT \u2013 Bilbao Architecture Team emerges as a contemporary and sensitive response to the way of making architecture. Founded in 2012 by architects Peru Ca\u00f1ada and Xabier Arranz, the studio defines itself as a transdisciplinary practice that integrates architecture, urbanism, interior design, landscape, and product design, understood as one single conversation: that of the space we inhabit and the future we wish to build.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From its manifesto \u2014Building, Crafting, Dreaming. Building Futures\u2014 BAT claims architecture as a craft, both intellectual and manual, where every line rests on reflection and every detail takes form through the precision of well-executed work. Its gaze moves seamlessly from the urban to the human scale, from the vibration of matter to the narrative of place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The studio conceives each project as an opportunity to positively transform people\u2019s lives and their surroundings. There is no neutral gesture, no innocent construction: every intervention, no matter how small, leaves a trace that can influence future generations. For this reason, their approach combines social sensitivity with technological innovation, energy efficiency with spatial quality, and community dialogue with aesthetic ambition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From its headquarters in Bilbao \u2014and with a presence in Madrid and London\u2014 BAT develops projects across diverse fields such as housing, education, healthcare, culture, and tourism. Its architecture is versatile and conscious, attuned to the rhythms of the territory and the spirit of each client. But beyond form, what truly defines its work is an attitude: the will to build community, to weave connections, to understand that architecture is \u2014above all\u2014 a tool for a shared future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peru Ca\u00f1ada and Xabier Arranz, founders of BAT, embody a dual vision that has allowed the studio to evolve into a practice both solid and open in identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peru Ca\u00f1ada<\/strong>, a strategist with an artisan\u2019s spirit, leads the studio with a collaborative vision that sees design as a collective process. His earlier career, linked to large-scale projects \u2014educational facilities, healthcare centers, social housing\u2014 reveals a remarkable ability to articulate complexity and emotion, technique and humanity. At BAT, he drives a constant search for new ways of thinking and building, exploring territories that transcend the traditional limits of architecture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For his part, Xabier Arranz<\/strong> brings a complementary, precise, and pragmatic perspective that has been essential to the team\u2019s consolidation and international reach. His background in architecture, consulting, and contract project management strengthens the business and operational dimension of the studio, ensuring that every idea translates into a tangible reality consistent with BAT\u2019s values. With extensive experience in team sports, he instills strong values within the firm \u2014empathy, emotional intelligence, and teamwork\u2014 standing out as a motivating and joyful leader within BAT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, Ca\u00f1ada and Arranz have shaped a studio that does not merely design spaces: it designs futures. BAT is a community of thought \u2014an alliance between creativity and responsibility, between matter and dream.<\/p>\n\n\n

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BAT<\/strong>
Gran V\u00eda de Don Diego
L\u00f3pez de Haro,2
47001 Bilbao
info@bat.archi
bat.archi<\/a>
@bat.archi<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RA Apartment transforms a historic flat in Bilbao\u2019s Ensanche district into a manifesto of classical modernity. Between century-old moldings and sculptural lighting, BAT builds a home where technological comfort and design coexist with architectural heritage.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47228,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[624],"tags":[2071,1858,1397],"ppma_author":[249],"class_list":["post-47216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","tag-bat","tag-bilbao-en","tag-residential-interior-design"],"authors":[{"term_id":249,"user_id":1,"is_guest":0,"slug":"amoratinos","display_name":"Ex\u00e1gono","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/95418ef5af1f1a520d5386cfe82ba253c88665f94a4343ec69a36d8df034ab4b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_category":"","first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47216"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47252,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47216\/revisions\/47252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47216"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=47216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}