Madrid villa rebuilt as art space
Villa 2030, a 1930s Madrid villa, has been rebuilt by interior designer Enrique Ventosa as an exquisite corpse, a project that showcases his studio’s appetite for risk and experimentation. The villa is located in Madrid’s Embajadores and serves as a companion piece to Ana Arana’s 1934 villa.
The apartment occupies a 1990s building with a precast concrete façade, offering 225m² per level and a rectangular plan with ribbon windows on two sides. The designers stripped the existing layout and reorganized the space with a large T-shaped wall of glass blocks.
Conceptual Premise
Plutarco’s conceptual premise is direct, drawing inspiration from the grand villas of the 1930s, including Maison de Verre, Villa Cavrois, and Villa E-1027. The studio describes the project as a themed museum, arguing that design from a century ago still holds relevance.
The entry sets the tone for the rest of the villa, featuring a 1900s-style greenhouse with exotic plants, outdoor elements, and a levitating timber coat closet. The color palette nods to Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, with deep aubergine, sky blue, and vanilla hues grounded by black-and-white terrazzo.
Interior Design
Beyond the entry, the main space spans roughly 100m², anchored by a circular glass block volume and featuring linoleum flooring, warm-cool color contrasts, and painted concrete pillars. The room is furnished with a mix of pieces, including Plutarco’s own STV sofa and México chest, alongside the Ekstrem chair and Faye Toogood’s Puffy armchair.
The kitchen is designed as the centrepiece of every party, with a checkerboard floor, butter-yellow joinery, Macael marble, and stainless steel accents. The ceilings throughout the villa are notable, with a painted halo in the kitchen paying homage to Alvar Aalto’s wall sconces at Paimio.
In the main bedroom, an ultra-matte maroon-black ceiling presses down on a silver curtain wall and a black tubular canopy bed, reworking Adolf Loos’s design for Lina Loos in a bold, dark color scheme. The result is a space that feels measured and calibrated, with every color, reference, and texture carefully considered.
Plutarco notes that the studio’s approach is based on the idea that “More is more,” but what makes Villa 2030 successful is the equilibrium of courage, color, and control. This project demonstrates the studio’s willingness to take risks and push boundaries, resulting in a truly unique and exquisite corpse. The studio’s ability to balance different elements has led to a remarkable outcome.
