With the conversion of El Priorato, Atienza Maure Arquitectos have managed to combine many contrasts and create a vacation home characterized by a sense of home. The 750 square meter vacation home is located 75 kilometers south of Bilbao in Trespaderne, a municipality with just under 800 inhabitants.
With the conversion of El Priorato, Atienza Maure Arquitectos have managed to combine many contrasts and create a vacation home characterized by a sense of home. The 750 square meter vacation home is located 75 kilometers south of Bilbao in Trespaderne, a municipality with just under 800 inhabitants.
Alonso Atienza Sánchez and Miguel Ángel Maure Blesa founded the architecture firm Atienza Maure Arquitectos in 2018. Both architects studied at the Polytechnic University of Madrid and then spent an academic year at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. El Priorato was one of the young firm’s first projects, as planning began shortly after it was founded. The project was completed in 2022.
El Priorato involves the restoration and extension of a 16th century rectory in the north of Castile. Only the stone walls of the building remained intact after a fire. The architects endeavored to create a building structure that replicates the original building. “Unfortunately, nobody seems to have any photos of the interior before the structure collapsed, so we had to collect the information almost as if we were at an archaeological site,” says Alonso Atienza, co-founder of Atienza Maure Arquitectos, describing the special nature of the task.
The former rectory is located on a steep slope, the first floor opens up on one side to the garden and the mountains to the south, but is partially incorporated into the earth. The basement rooms have been used for storage since the building was built. The architects’ approach is characterized by the desire to bring as much natural light as possible into the interior of El Priorato: “Everything revolves around trying to bring light into the rooms and the first floor, like in John Soane’s house museum or in Fernando Higueras’ rascainfiernos,” says Atienza.
As neither the grounds nor the listed existing walls could be altered, the architects opted for five skylights, which were integrated into the new wooden roof. Triangular light shafts and walk-on glass floors guide daylight deep into the three storeys of the vacation home. This makes the first floor of El Priorato a bright, cozy place thanks to the light from above and the openings to the south. It houses a number of living areas with a fireplace and kitchen and connects the inside and outside through direct access to the garden.
The remains of the original stone vault allowed conclusions to be drawn about the building structure of the former rectory. With the help of the expertise of workers from the region, the architects were able to recreate the vaulted ceiling in white concrete. The restrained character of the material ensures a harmonious image of the original stone and new concrete vault.
Two new staircases, also made of stone and designed with the help of regional employees, lead up from the first floor. There are seven bedrooms on the second floor of El Priorato. The eastern bedrooms are cut through at their corners by the triangular light wells that connect them to the first floor in various ways. Some of the light wells have glass floors, while others are designed as balconies overlooking the first floor. The latter can also be closed off with wooden shutters for more privacy.
A spiral metal staircase takes guests from El Priorato to the second floor. Another living, dining and kitchen area is located here. The highlight of the upper floor is the outdoor terrace, which opens up a wide view of the landscape framed by preserved parts of the original columns, which have been restored with matching stone.
The architects used a simple, minimalist palette of colors, materials and shapes for the restoration of El Priorato. The stone walls of the 16th century rectory, which had been spared by the fire, were repaired and supplemented with new, white concrete elements. The architects were able to derive the color from the original building, whose masonry was whitewashed. They thus created a subtle, contemporary contrast from the juxtaposition of old and new. Minimal lighting fixtures, metal mesh balustrades and wooden kitchen units round off the concept using natural materials.
Atienza Maure Arquitectos spent four years creating a contemporary yet sensitive restoration that brings the heritage of the original rectory into the present day. The unfolding of the original, together with its bright and modern appearance, make El Priorato a welcoming place that offers its guests a home for the duration of their stay.
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