Shortlisted in the Interiors section of the 2020 FAD Awards, this refurbishment by Madrid-based Taller de Casquería (Elena Fuertes, Ramón Martínez, Álvaro Molins, Jorge Sobejano) is a bid to protect the Spanish capital’s industrial heritage through use and occupation formulas that can prolong the lives of buildings, saving them from demolition.

Located at Calle Pilarica 81, in the Usera district, the project restores and upgrades the spatial volume of the shed, removing elements added during its years of industrial activity. The conversion of the place for residential use with an art workshop is carried out by means of two functional modules. The lower level, with its rough finishes, now features a tunnel for the washing and drying involved in artistic production, beside a toilet. The upper floor, with its smoother textures, presents a wet core and the other domestic zones. The new elements take their place without altogether conditioning the potential of the overall space.