An architect to renovate a flat in the Salamanca District
Renovating in the Salamanca District means engaging with Madrid's finest residential architecture: mouldings, high ceilings and proportions worth keeping.
Renovating a flat in the Salamanca District calls for an architect who understands its stately architecture: buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries, with high ceilings, mouldings, fine joinery and generous proportions that are, in themselves, an asset. The best renovation does not erase that character: it brings it up to date.
A neighbourhood with its own rules
Designed by the Marquis of Salamanca to compete with the best of Paris and London, the district today holds Madrid's most sought-after residential architecture, on streets such as Serrano, Velázquez, Diego de León, General Oráa and Juan Bravo. It is also one of the markets with the greatest international demand, which makes a well-executed renovation a wealth decision as much as a life project.
What renovating here involves
Working on a stately home means deciding what to keep and what to transform: restoring original mouldings and herringbone floors, opening up the layout without losing the nobility of the spaces, and completely modernising services that are often decades old —electricity, plumbing, climate control, home automation. It is a balance between respect and innovation that we resolve in every project, and it always begins with a prior study of the structure.
Permits and the residents' association, without surprises
Not every intervention is equally simple. Touching the façade, structure or shared services requires permits and, often, the approval of the residents' association; in buildings with protected elements there are limits worth knowing before buying or designing. Our experience in the district lets us anticipate administrative timescales and prevent a formality from stalling the works.
Our experience in Salamanca
The district is one of the studio's natural territories. We have fully renovated homes on Diego de León, General Oráa, Juan Bravo and Alcalá, several featured in Interiores magazine. Each starts from the same listening and the same criteria, but arrives at a different result, because no two families are alike.
A turnkey service
In Salamanca we usually develop the complete project —architecture, site management, interior design and decoration— and, when the client wishes, we hand over the home fully furnished, ready to live in. A single point of contact from start to finish, so the renovation is an ordered process and not a source of worry.
Frequently asked questions
Can you remove walls in an old building? Almost always yes, but it is essential to distinguish partitions from load-bearing walls and study the structure before designing. That analysis is the first thing we do.
How long does a renovation in the district take? As a reference, between commissioning the design and handover it usually takes 9 to 14 months, depending on surface area, permits and level of customisation.
Is it worth keeping the original features? When there are quality mouldings, joinery or floors, restoring them adds a value no new material can match. We recover what deserves to stay and combine it with new pieces made to last.