MAIO, Spain: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2021
With House in a House, a clever timber structure inserted in a rural Spanish home in Mallorca, Barcelona-based architecture studio MAIO joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2021

José Hevia - Photography
Four architects, Maria Charneco, Alfredo Lérida, Guillermo López and Anna Puigjaner, set up an architecture practice in Barcelona in 2011; and MAIO was born, standing out for its bold, colourful and geometric work that feels at once solid and experimental. Now, the Spanish studio is joining the ranks for the Wallpaper* Architects' Directory 2021 with its House in a House project, the unexpected refurbishment of a Mallorcan farmhouse.
Who: MAIO
Splitting their time between Barcelona and New York, this studio’s architects are versatile and dynamic; an attitude that translates consistently into their designs. Headed by four partners, Maria Charneco, Alfredo Lérida, Guillermo López and Anna Puigjaner, the practice was founded in 2011.
MAIO’s portfolio is diverse, spanning different scales, typologies and approaches. A key residential project, House in a House (seen below, and created in collaboration with architect Joan-Baptista Pont) is a bold experimentation in space, inserting a clever timber structure within an existing rural house. Larger housing commissions, art projects, retail and exhibition design all feature in the studio’s growing portfolio of strong, graphic and viually arresting design that stands out for its clarity and often colourful architectural style.
‘We work on spatial systems, which allow variation and change through time,' say the practice partners. ‘MAIO’s projects embrace the ever-changing complexity of everyday life, while providing a resilient and clear architectural response. We like to work in very different scales, from furniture to urban design. We think of design as an open way of enhancing reality that is full of potential.'
What: House in a House
Situated in the centre of the island of Mallorca in Spain, this 19th-century farmhouse lay abandonded for years, slowly becoming delapidated, despite its beautiful stone structure and pristine natural setting. MAIO was called upon to refurbish and reimagine the space into a contemporary home. Keeping its structural walls (the only building element worth saving after years of neglect), the architects approached the design as a careful reintepretation of a ruin.
Instead of creating dramatic, ‘agressive’ alterations to its overall fabric and exterior, MAIO, in collaboration with local architect Joan-Baptista Pont, decided to insert a large yet lightweight timber ‘piece of furniture' into the old shell. Working with simple wood panels, the new structure defines areas and functions, smoothly slotting into the thick stone walls – transforming the spatial experience, while respecting the historic existing building.
Several openings illuminate the interior, aided by a large skylight at the heart of the design. Views out and through to various areas, sculptural internal arrangements and a clean, almost minimalist approach, typical of MAIO’s work, help define this matryoshka doll-style architectural renovation.
Why: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2021
Conceived in 2000 as our index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is our magazine’s annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. The project has, over the years, spanned styles and continents, while always championing the best and most exciting young studios and showcasing inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm. Now including more than 500 alumni and counting, the Architects’ Directory is back for its 21st edition. Join us as we launch this year’s survey – 20 young studios, from Australia, Canada, China, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the USA, and the UK, with plenty of promise, ideas and exciting architecture.
INFORMATION
maio-architects.com
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
This striking Spanish house makes the most of a tricky plot in a good area
A Spanish house perched on a steep slope in the leafy suburbs of Barcelona, Raúl Sánchez Architects’ Casa Magarola features colourful details, vintage designs and hidden balconies
By Léa Teuscher
-
This brutalist apartment in Barcelona is surprisingly soft and gentle
The renovated brutalist apartment by Cometa Architects is a raw yet gentle gem in the heart of the city
By Tianna Williams
-
A brutalist house in Spain embraces its wild and tangled plot
House X is a formidable, brutalist house structure on a semi-rural plot in central Spain, shaped by Bojaus Arquitectura to reflect the robust flora and geology of the local landscape
By Jonathan Bell
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneer
Back in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Sun-drenched Los Angeles houses: modernism to minimalism
From modernist residences to riveting renovations and new-build contemporary homes, we tour some of the finest Los Angeles houses under the Californian sun
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Low-energy house in Catalonia minimises its footprint to make the most of its site
Alventosa Morell Arquitectes’ low-energy house in Catalonia nestles into the landscape
By Jonathan Bell
-
This light-filled Spanish house is defined by openness and geometry
A Spanish house by Arquitecturia Camps Felip is designed around its courtyards and its six volumes’ bold geometry
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Extraordinary escapes: where would you like to be?
Peruse and lose yourself in these extraordinary escapes; there's nothing better to get the creative juices flowing than a healthy dose of daydreaming
By Ellie Stathaki