{"id":58905,"date":"2026-03-04T16:07:04","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T16:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/casa-arco-una-arquitectura-disenada-por-abaton-para-convivir-con-el-arte\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T18:23:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T18:23:29","slug":"casa-arco-an-architecture-by-abaton-designed-to-live-with-art","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/casa-arco-an-architecture-by-abaton-designed-to-live-with-art\/","title":{"rendered":"Casa Arco: an architecture by \u00c1baton designed to live with art"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this residential project, the Madrid-based studio \u00c1baton<\/a> approaches an unusual premise in contemporary housing: designing architecture as an active support for the experience of art. Casa Arco emerges from the commission of a family deeply connected to the collecting of contemporary art, who envisioned their future home not only as a place to live, but also as a space capable of entering into dialogue with artworks, colour and everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n

From the outset, the project is conceived as an integral whole in which architecture, interior design and landscape design share a common language. The aim is to construct a domestic framework where artistic pieces can coexist naturally with family life. Architecture therefore acts as a silent background that organises, orders and enhances the presence of art.<\/p>\n\n\n

The house is structured into two differentiated realms: one more public, intended for social interaction and welcoming guests, and another connected to family life. Between them appears a central core that organises the house from the entrance. Access is through a pivoting door that leads to a space presided over by a cantilevered concrete staircase. Almost sculptural in character, the piece stands in front of a large window oriented towards the north garden, allowing vegetation and the passing of the seasons to become a permanent presence inside the home.<\/p>\n\n\n

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By the pool: Landscape sun loungers by Kettal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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To the right of the house entrance: Eleonora sculpture by Xavier Mascar\u00f3.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Acapulco rug by Rue Vintage. Brutalist mirror by Rue Vintage. Painting by Rub\u00e9n Guerrero.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Sculptures by Xavier Mascar\u00f3. Indochina UFO lamps by Rue Vintage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Work by Fernando Barrios Benavides, Galer\u00eda Llamazares. Lamp by \u00c1lvaro Catal\u00e1n de Oc\u00f3n. Acapulco Banane rug by Rue Vintage.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Gemelares by Luis Gordillo. Work by Gerardo Rueda, Galer\u00eda Setdart. Sculpture by David Rodr\u00edguez Caballero, Galer\u00eda Aurora Vigil. Photograph by Vari Caram\u00e9s, Galer\u00eda Trinta. Sculpture by Mateo L\u00f3pez, Galer\u00eda Traves\u00eda Cuatro. Costela armchair and footrest by Tacchini. Grasshopper coffee tables by Knoll. Female figure sculpture by Sofia Vari.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Female figure sculpture by Sofia Vari. Geisha by Xavier Mascar\u00f3. Paintings by Teresa Gancedo. Drawing by \u00c1ngel Ferrant. Painting by Francisco Bores, Galer\u00eda Guillermo de Osma. Drawing by Joaqu\u00edn Torres Garc\u00eda. Painting by Sara Ramo, Galer\u00eda Traves\u00eda Cuatro. El Limonero by Juanjo Maillo, Galer\u00eda Ponce & Robles. Afrodita by Sergio Roger. Drawing by Alberto S\u00e1nchez P\u00e9rez, Galer\u00eda Guillermo de Osma. Sculpture by Manolo Hugu\u00e9, Galer\u00eda Setdart.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Painting by Jos\u00e9 Luis Alexanco. Sculpture by Rosa Brun, Galer\u00eda Fern\u00e1ndez Braso. Tulip table by Knoll. Saarinen chairs by Knoll. Simbiosi lamp by Davide Groppi. Ikebana vase by Fritz Hansen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Painting by Ester Parteg\u00e0s, Galer\u00eda Nogueras Blanchard. CH24 Wishbone chairs by Carl Hansen. Flat pendant lamp by Vibia. Tense table by MDF Italia. Dresser by Kelly Deco.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Gryfocus pivoting fireplace by Focus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Painting by Ram\u00f3n Aguilar Mor\u00e9, Galer\u00eda Setdart. Painting from the Spanish School, Galer\u00eda Setdart. Painting by Francisco Mendes, Galer\u00eda Trinta. Painting by Isabel Quintanilla, Fundaci\u00f3n Museo del Prado. Adam Stool 50 by Frama.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

The east wing hosts the area designed for sharing with guests. The living room, dining room and kitchen unfold in a fluid sequence of spaces that open completely to the exterior through large sliding joinery. During the warmer months, this area transforms into a generous continuous porch that extends domestic life into the garden.<\/p>\n\n\n

In the living room, architecture adopts a deliberately restrained attitude: the exposed wooden structure and minimalist finishes create a neutral background where both the furniture pieces \u2014 such as the Costela armchairs by Tacchini \u2014 and contemporary artworks stand out, including Gemelares by Luis Gordillo. The exterior landscape introduces colour through vegetation, establishing a constant dialogue between interior and garden.<\/p>\n\n\n

The dining room is conceived almost as an exhibition space. The scene is presided over by a large-format painting by Jos\u00e9 Luis Alexanco, whose presence is balanced by the lightness of the Simbiosi luminaire designed by Davide Groppi. The kitchen, designed by \u00c1baton itself, is organised around a large central island and also embraces colour as a compositional element.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Axuk by Juanjo Maillo. Bend-Sofa designed by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia. TMM lamp by Santa & Cole. Womb Relax armchair and footrest by Knoll. Grada tables by Expormim. Loop Ambara rug by Cumellas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Work by Sergio G\u00f3mez, Galer\u00eda Herrero de Tejada. Collage by R\u00e0fols Casamada, Galer\u00eda Setdart. Collages by Patricia Gadea, Galer\u00eda Setdart. Collage by Carmen Calvo, Galer\u00eda Jorge Juan. Work by Manuel \u00c1ngeles Ortiz, Galer\u00eda Guillermo de Osma. Work by Guillermo Mora, Galer\u00eda Mois\u00e9s P\u00e9rez Albeniz. Sculpture by Olga Copado. Holden sofa by Verzelloni. Plusminus lamp by Vibia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Bamburi Rust rug by Cumellas. KN02 armchair by Knoll. AJ floor lamp by Louis Poulsen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Paintings by Charlie Billingham, Galer\u00eda Traves\u00eda Cuatro. Paintings by Elena Blasco, Galer\u00eda Espacio M\u00ednimo. Sculpture by Xavier Mascar\u00f3. Painting by Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Sicilia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Work by Manuel Hern\u00e1ndez Momp\u00f3. Sculpture by Antonio Ballester Moreno. Works by Miguel \u00c1ngel Campano.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Painting by Luis Gordillo. Uda tables by Ondarreta. Ekstrem armchairs by Varier. Barbara rug by Dac Rugs. Aura Collection sideboard by Treku. Funicul\u00ed floor lamp by Marset. Nano Gummy lamp by Seletti. Monkey lamp by Seletti.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Danish armchair from the Rabad\u00e1n collection. Daphine floor lamp by Lumina. Fauteuil Direction chair by Vitra. Painting by Juanjo Maillo. Sculpture by Xavier Mascar\u00f3. Sculpture by Olga Copado.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

In the west wing lies the most everyday sphere of the house, dedicated to family life. Here the space unfolds through subtle level changes that organise different areas.<\/p>\n\n

The living room in this zone is slightly sunken into the terrain, creating a sheltered atmosphere surrounded by stepped masses of vegetation. From here, the gaze is enveloped by the colour of the garden. In this space coexist works such as the sculpture by Xavier Mascar\u00f3 and Axuk by Juanjo Maillo, alongside contemporary design pieces including the Bend-Sofa by Patricia Urquiola and the TMM lamp designed by Miguel Mil\u00e1.<\/p>\n\n\n

On a slightly higher level there is an open kitchen with a marble countertop and an informal space for the family. This sector also incorporates a study, a guest toilet and a small glazed gym that sits almost like a room within the vegetation, reinforcing the sense of continuity between interior and exterior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meeting point between both realms once again takes place in the staircase space. Illuminated by the large window, the concrete piece acts both as a spatial hinge and as a pause in the journey through the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The upper floor accommodates the most private uses. Two children\u2019s bedrooms are organised around a shared room conceived as a flexible space for play, study or rest. Even here, art finds its place as a natural part of the domestic atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n

In a more secluded area are located a second study and the main suite. The bedroom opens onto a generous planted terrace that extends the room outward. The bathroom, luminous and open, integrates a shower and a freestanding bathtub facing the garden, establishing a direct relationship with the landscape. Dressing room, bedroom and terrace unfold as a continuous sequence of spaces that blur the limits between interior and nature.<\/p>\n\n

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Bathyscafocus Hublot pivoting fireplace by Focus. Side table by Pols Potten. Outdoor armchairs by Roda.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Custom Rabad\u00e1n headboard. Platner armchair by Knoll. Ledtube headboard light by Marset. Ginger wall lights by Marset. Side table by Pols Potten. Custom bedside table.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The garden completes the project following New Perennial criteria, with a naturalistic composition based on grasses and perennial plants that evolve with the seasons. The central meadow coexists with freer plant masses that provide texture, movement and biodiversity, creating a favourable ecosystem for birds and pollinating insects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the vegetation appear different paths and small areas: a pavilion with an outdoor dining space conceived as a room open to the landscape, resting areas and reading corners under the shade of the trees. Here the garden acts as an active extension of the architecture.<\/p>\n\n\n

In Casa Arco, architecture serves a way of living in which art, landscape and everyday life coexist actively. The project built by \u00c1baton thus proposes a delicate balance between architectural restraint and artistic expressiveness: a house designed to live, contemplate and share.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Basket armchairs by Kettal. Mesh side tables by Kettal. Marset floor lamp. Mangas rug by Gan Rugs designed by Patricia Urquiola.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Project<\/strong><\/strong>: Casa Arco.
Location<\/strong><\/strong>: Madrid.
Area<\/strong>: 1,000 m\u00b2 of built space and a 3,500 m\u00b2 plot
Completed<\/strong><\/strong>: 2024.
Architecture<\/strong><\/strong>: \u00c1baton Arquitectura<\/a>.
Photography<\/strong><\/strong>: Bel\u00e9n Imaz<\/a> y Derek Pedr\u00f3s<\/a>.
Source<\/strong><\/strong>: \u00c1baton Arquitectura.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Camino Alonso, architect and creative director of \u00c1baton Arquitectura<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u00c1baton Arquitectura<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since its foundation in 1998, \u00c1baton has established itself as one of Spain\u2019s most influential architecture studios. Its work, renowned for its formal honesty and conceptual depth, is guided by a clear philosophy: to eliminate the superfluous in order to reach the essential. For \u00c1baton, architecture is not only a matter of space, but a form of intimate conversation \u2014with oneself, with others, and with nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a world saturated with stimuli, \u00c1baton reclaims the power of architectural silence. Its projects reflect an aesthetic that transcends reason to focus on the vital experience of those who inhabit them. They design spaces that embrace and converse with their surroundings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Committed to sustainability from the beginning, \u00c1baton was among the first studios in Spain to use CLT timber, and has built more houses with this system than any other practice in the country. They use recyclable materials, plan with bioclimatic criteria, and minimize the environmental footprint of each project. Their architecture respects both place and time: homes that aspire to be timeless, lasting and conscious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to new builds, \u00c1baton has carried out more than 300 refurbishments, understanding that to restore is also to create. Their comprehensive approach \u2014encompassing design, construction and execution\u2014 ensures coherence, precision and beauty at every stage of the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, with more than 500 completed projects, \u00c1baton continues to create new ways of living \u2014freer, more empathetic, more human. In their spaces, one breathes an architecture meant more to be felt than to be seen.<\/p>\n\n\n

Camino Alonso<\/strong> is an architect and Creative Director at \u00c1baton Arquitectura, the studio she founded in 1998 together with architect Ignacio Lech\u00f3n and industrial engineer Carlos Alonso.<\/p>\n\n

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\u00c1baton Arquitectura
<\/strong>Ciudad Real, 28
28223 Pozuelo de Alarc\u00f3n\u2028 (Madrid)
+34 913 521 616
info@abaton.es
abaton.es<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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

The architects propose a delicate balance between architectural restraint and artistic expression: a house conceived for living, contemplating and sharing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":58923,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"editor_plus_copied_stylings":"{}","footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[624],"tags":[1778,1099,1989,1098],"ppma_author":[249],"class_list":["post-58905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","tag-abaton-en","tag-housing-in-madrid","tag-residential-architecture-en","tag-viviendas-en-madrid-en"],"acf":[],"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","avatar_alt":"","avatar_decorative":"","author_category":"","first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58905","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=58905"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58975,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58905\/revisions\/58975"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58905"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exagono.es\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=58905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}