Burr Studio converts Madrid warehouse into skylit events space

The industrial character of a former warehouse has been playfully subverted to create this multipurpose events space in Madrid, Spain, designed by local architecture practice Burr Studio.

Named Patio, the transformation of the former storage facility into a venue for artistic productions, events and residencies is defined by a bright yellow entrance area, textured render walls and circular skylights.

For local practice Burr Studio, the retrofit forms part of a wider project called Elements for Industrial Recovery, which seeks to protect and revitalise the many disused industrial spaces in Madrid.

"Over the past three decades, industrial activity in central Madrid has steadily diminished, reaching a point where it has virtually disappeared," said the studio.

"As a result, urban industrial buildings have become obsolete – too large for local commerce, too costly for industry, too constrained by regulations for recreational use, and financially unappealing to younger generations inheriting family businesses."

"Elements for Industrial Recovery explores urban and architectural tools to retain these structures in a context that otherwise incentivises their disappearance," it added.

The client's own artistic practice, based on ideas of "perceptual distortion", informed Burr Studio's design approach, which sees a layered series of walls, openings and sliding doors inserted within the shell of the original warehouse building.

Two larger volumes, defined by the studio as "spatial anchors", mark the beginning and end of the route through the updated space.

Next to the entrance, a bold yellow volume containing bathrooms, storage and mechanical spaces projects into a kitchen and dining area, with stainless steel counters and blue and red furniture completing the primary colour palette.

At the far end of the space, the second of these volumes is a large timber storage unit that helps partially enclose a more private room that can be used as live-in accommodation during artist residencies.

In between, the centre of Patio is defined by a looser organisation of studio and events spaces, with the rendered walls stopping short of the large pitched roof, which has been punctured by circular skylights.

Along one edge, a strip of open space in between the warehouse and the neighbouring building has been turned into a linear courtyard filled with potted plants.

"The key to preserving these spaces lies in hybrid uses," said the studio.

"These industrial buildings cannot be understood rigidly; they require a more fluid approach to occupancy that takes advantage of their spatial qualities while balancing the costs of adaptation," it added.

"Regularly spaced openings combine fixed glass panels with overlapping sliding doors, creating a seamless interplay of transparency and reflection."

"The roof's continuity is preserved as a defining element, visible from any point in the space and strategically perforated to bring natural light into key areas," it continued.

Other industrial conversions include the transformation of a warehouse and office in Porto into a home by Fala Atelier and a concrete Colorado sports facility that was turned into an arts hub.

The photography is by Maru Serrano.

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