ABIBOO in Identity
United Arab Emirates

Para español, leer debajo de las imágenes… We would like to thank “Identity” for their interest in our work! A Modern Masterpiece Spanish architect Alfredo Munoz of Abiboo Architecture has created a contemporary architectural masterpiece in the shape of a sponge for a famous footballer in Madrid. Committed to a deeply pensive and aesthetically enriching architecture, Alfred Munoz is one of Spain’s leading architects, with operations in New York, Madrid and Chennai. His most recent project, Casa H, is a radical structure that is altering the urban landscape with its dramatic ‘sponge’ design. “I think form was a fundamental part of design during the 20th Century when reality was more static, more solid. However, I believe that nowadays, any focus on form design will be obsolete too soon. My approach: we should focus on the full sensorial and emotional experiences, which allow adaptability over time,” explains Munoz. (…) “I believe my architecture has influences from two different directions,” says Munoz. “The first type is related to ‘designer architecture’, like the ones we do in Abiboo. The second one is related to vernacular designs. I love Rudofsky’s research on ‘architecture without architects’.” Casa H has three main theoretical underpinnings. “The first concept implemented is Organic Architecture; the second concept is related to the creation of intense experiences that are mainly sensorial and emotional; the third criterion is radicalism. I wanted to create a manifesto for a new way of thinking private living” he says. The villa is also deeply rooted in his research. “The foundational ideas come from a very theoretical project I did years ago for a blind person in a site located near Marbella. This research finally opened my eyes to a new world and new opportunities to create new spaces,” says Munoz. His famous sportsman client understood his vision. “I wanted to really understand how they live, what interests them. I found he is a very spiritual person so I thought he would appreciate a praying-meditation room, even if he did not ask for it. I also realized that she loves planting and flowers, so I knew an aromatic garden was needed. I understood their life revolves around art, so I designed the living room as an art gallery and it became ‘the museum’. They value art sculptures, too, so I created a special place to interact with art and nature.” (…) Munoz’s strategies for using light, shadow and time come together at the ‘kaleidoscope’, a diagonal space that connects the three floors with double and triple heights. From inside you can see different outer spaces, inner spaces, a sports car in the garage-museum, the sky, the earth, the pool and grass. It also functions as a powerful entrance to the house. In addition to the dramatic kaleidoscope, Munoz created a floating experience in the ‘museum’. “We floated the entire length of walls – almost 20 meters – by having all the concrete walls suspended from a metallic structure that was structurally compensated by a cantilevered volume, five meters long, on the other side of the house. It also creates the pedestrian entrance to the house. The idea required a deep understanding of how to work with the ‘loopholes’ of gravity, and is very connected to the ‘Madrid school of thought’.” Eco-friendly to the core, the villa was designed to accommodate the local microclimate with its patios, water bodies, natural ventilation strategies and environmentally friendly water management solutions, such as geothermal heat pumps. Many have asked to purchase the property “because the spaces created in the house are so strong and have such a sense of ‘self-spirit’ that anyone can resonate with them, even if the house was designed as an exclusive ‘Haute Couture’ villa,” Munoz notes. But, as we anticipated, the famous footballer hasn’t accepted any offers. The copyright of photos, images, videos, and ideas indicated in this Think Tank section belong to each artist/ creative studio/ company mentioned or referenced in the links below.

¡Nos gustaría agradecer a “Identity” por su interés en nuestro trabajo! Una obra maestra moderna El texto adjunto es un breve extracto de la publicación original. Sin embargo, únicamente está disponible en inglés. Sentimos las molestias. Los derechos de autor de las fotos, imágenes, videos e ideas mostrados en esta sección pertenecen al correspondiente artista/ firma creativa/ empresa mencionada o referenciada en los correspondientes links indicados a continuación: Source/ Fuente: Identity. October 2015.