https://www.architecturalrecord.com/rss/1669 en-us In Spain, a surprising scheme provides a pristine backdrop for the selection of opulent materials.

]]> http://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13615 Tue, 04 Sep 2018 08:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/13615-petra-the-stone-atelier-by-fran-silvestre-arquitectos Flanked by glazed offices and conference rooms, the circular wall at the rear of the Petra showroom opens to reveal a secret display area with a smaller ring inside, used for private meetings and business transactions. Photo © Fran Silvestre Arquitectos The reception area is clad in stone, leading to glass-enclosed offices. Photo © Fran Silvestre Arquitectos The reception area is clad in stone, leading to glass-enclosed offices. Photo © Fran Silvestre Arquitectos Stone samples are kept behind flush doors backing the larger ring wall. Photo © Fran Silvestre Arquitectos The small meeting room at its core is lined with sound-absorbing fabric and furnished with a stone-based table by Silvestre, part of the Petra collection. Photo © Fran Silvestre Arquitectos The small meeting room at its core is lined with sound-absorbing fabric and furnished with a stone-based table by Silvestre, part of the Petra collection. Photo © Fran Silvestre Arquitectos Image courtesy Fran Silvestre Arquitectos 1504-balint-house-fran-silvestre-arquitectos.asp Thu, 16 Apr 2015 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/8821-balint-house-by-fran-silvestre-arquitectos The 5,400-square-foot house reads as an elegant industrial object, especially when lit up at night. A curving swimming pool responds to the elliptical form of the house. Balint HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosValencia, SpainThe 5,400-square-foot house reads as an elegant industrial object, especially when lit up at night. A curving swimming pool responds to the elliptical form of the house.Photo © Diego Opazo A cantilevered balcony on each side of the house offers views to either the pool or the golf course. Balint HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosValencia, SpainA cantilevered balcony on each side of the house offers views to either the pool or the golf course.Photo © Diego Opazo The balconies also shade ground-floor spaces from the strong sun. Silvestre recessed the glazing in the kitchen for the same reason. Balint HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosValencia, SpainThe balconies also shade ground-floor spaces from the strong sun. Silvestre recessed the glazing in the kitchen for the same reason.Photo © Diego Opazo Skylights bring daylight into the two-story-high hall. Balint HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosValencia, SpainSkylights bring daylight into the two-story-high hall. Photo © Diego Opazo Dark smoked-glass balustrades on the second floor provide a visual counterpoint to the white interiors. Balint HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosValencia, SpainDark smoked-glass balustrades on the second floor provide a visual counterpoint to the white interiors.Photo © Diego Opazo The only partition on the first floor is a cabinet separating the kitchen from the hall. Balint HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosValencia, SpainThe only partition on the first floor is a cabinet separating the kitchen from the hall. Photo © Diego Opazo The structural design eliminated columns from the interiors, creating a seamless flow between the living room and the outdoors. Balint HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosValencia, SpainThe structural design eliminated columns from the interiors, creating a seamless flow between the living room and the outdoors.Photo © Diego Opazo Balint House Balint HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosValencia, SpainImage courtesy Fran Silvestre Arquitectos Balint House Balint HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosValencia, SpainImage courtesy Fran Silvestre Arquitectos Balint House Balint HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosValencia, SpainImage courtesy Fran Silvestre Arquitectos A striking mix of glossy black walls and white light, the Vegamar Selección, a wine boutique on an exclusive shopping street in Valencia, Spain, was given the black-tie treatment by architect Fran Silvestre and interior designer Andrés Alfaro Hofmann to meet the client's ambition to achieve an image of sophistication and quality.

]]> 1409-vinoteca-vegamar-seleccion-fran-silvestre-arquitectos.asp Tue, 16 Sep 2014 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/8300-vinoteca-vegamar-selecci243n Vinoteca Vegamar Selección Tasting table cantilevers off a support column.   Photo © Diego Opazo Vinoteca Vegamar Selección Reflective cabinets contrast with brilliant indirect light in this wine boutique. From the entrance, a backlit rear wall draws the eye beyond a long, narrow display area.   Photo © Diego Opazo Vinoteca Vegamar Selección Black and white surfaces, reflecting and radiating light, dress up the store like formal wear. The rear of the shop was designed for wine tasting, tapas, and meetings, with a backlit Plexiglas wall and two seating areas.   Photo © Diego Opazo Vinoteca Vegamar Selección Converging lines of light exaggerate the room’s depth, while dark, minimalist bottles and packaging coordinate with the design.   Photo © Diego Opazo Vinoteca Vegamar Selección Image courtesy Fran Silvestre Arquitectos With his design for the Atrium House, 36-year-old architect Fran Silvestre takes a fresh look at 20th-century Modernist formulas, from the courtyard houses of Mies van der Rohe of the 1920s and '30s to the Case Study Houses in Los Angeles of the 1950s and '60s.

]]> 1304-atrium-house-fran-silvestre-arquitectos.asp Tue, 16 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/8807-atrium-house The main floor of the house sits above a lower level containing a four-car garage, a guest room, a gym, and a study. The central terrace or 'atrium' serves as the focus for the living spaces and maste Atrium HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosGodella, SpainThe main floor of the house sits above a lower level containing a four-car garage, a guest room, a gym, and a study. The central terrace or 'atrium' serves as the focus for the living spaces and master bedroom, creating a visual continuum between indoor and outdoor living.Photo © Juan Rodr'guez While much of the house reveals itself from the central courtyard, the entry sequence on the upper level takes visitors on an extended promenade around two mostly windowless facades. Shaded from above Atrium HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosGodella, SpainWhile much of the house reveals itself from the central courtyard, the entry sequence on the upper level takes visitors on an extended promenade around two mostly windowless facades. Shaded from above, the promenade leads past a triangular-shaped garden behind the bedroom wing and then a sunken patio running along one side of the guest/gym/study level. Silvestre choreographed the sequence to create a sense of anticipation and mystery and to show off the site around the house.Photo © Juan Rodr'guez While much of the house reveals itself from the central courtyard, the entry sequence on the upper level takes visitors on an extended promenade around two mostly windowless facades. Shaded from above Atrium HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosGodella, SpainWhile much of the house reveals itself from the central courtyard, the entry sequence on the upper level takes visitors on an extended promenade around two mostly windowless facades. Shaded from above, the promenade leads past a triangular-shaped garden behind the bedroom wing and then a sunken patio running along one side of the guest/gym/study level. Silvestre choreographed the sequence to create a sense of anticipation and mystery and to show off the site around the house.Photo © Juan Rodr'guez Just as Mies van der Rohe extolled the virtue of <em>beinahe nichts</em> (almost nothing), Silvestre stripped away distracting elements such as doorframes and hid electrical outlets, kitchen appliance Atrium HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosGodella, SpainJust as Mies van der Rohe extolled the virtue of beinahe nichts (almost nothing), Silvestre stripped away distracting elements such as doorframes and hid electrical outlets, kitchen appliances, and even the water source for an outdoor shower. A high-strength concrete frame frees the atrium elevations to almost disappear as uninterrupted, floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Photo © Juan Rodr'guez The bedrooms look onto a rear terrace and garden. Atrium HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosGodella, SpainThe bedrooms look onto a rear terrace and garden.Photo © Juan Rodr'guez Atrium House Atrium HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosGodella, SpainImage courtesy Fran Silvestre Arquitectos Atrium House Atrium HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosGodella, SpainImage courtesy Fran Silvestre Arquitectos Atrium House Atrium HouseFran Silvestre ArquitectosGodella, SpainImage courtesy Fran Silvestre Arquitectos