Old Apartment Gets A Fresh Look That Blends Past And Present
The area known as Roma found at the center of Mexico City was once a lake (Lake Texcoco). It has a muddy soil base and amplified seismic waves, hence the substantial damage suffered by the buildings in the area during the 1985 earthquake. This pretty much scared everyone in the area and the zone became abandoned until recently when the buildings started being renovated.
One such renovation is that of this apartment. The space was re-designed by Cadaval & Sola-Morales in 2015. The architects chose to pretty much start over and to give the apartment a new configuration and a new look. The 90 square meters of space were divided into two zones. One is a double-height space which serves as a public area and the other has low ceilings and houses a series of small and cozy spaces.
Not everything in here is new. The original arched windows were preserved and the brick walls were integrated beautifully into the new design, being exposed in some rooms. Also, the designers chose to leave the ceiling unfinished in some parts of the apartment as a way to bring back a part of its history.
The public zone is a spacious and open area which combines a small kitchen, a dining area and a casual seating area. Together they form the social space. Even if the three functions are ultimately part of the same space, they each have a unique character. The kitchen, for example, is entirely black. The dining area features bold touches of yellow and has a really cheerful look.
The original brick walls were exposed here and there but in most of the apartment they were painted white. This way the space looks bigger which is a plus for those rooms that have small windows.
The bedrooms are small but cozy and comfortable. They only include the most basic of furniture pieces such as the bed and the headboard. One of the bedrooms also has a bookshelf that doubles as a small divider. The other features an unfinished ceiling and a brick accent wall.