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
-
Year in review: top 10 design stories of 2024Wallpaper* magazine's 10 most-read design stories of 2024 whisk us from fun Ikea pieces to the man who designed the Paris Olympics, and 50 years of the Rubik's Cube
-
Sharon Smith's Polaroids capture 1980s New York nightlifeIDEA Books has launched a new monograph of Smith’s photographs, titled Camera Girl and edited by former editor-in-chief of LIFE magazine, Bill Shapiro
-
A multifaceted Beverly Hills house puts the beauty of potentiality in the frameA Beverly Hills house in Trousdale, designed by Robin Donaldson, brings big ideas to the residential scale
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneerBack in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
-
Sun-drenched Los Angeles houses: modernism to minimalismFrom modernist residences to riveting renovations and new-build contemporary homes, we tour some of the finest Los Angeles houses under the Californian sun
-
Low-energy house in Catalonia minimises its footprint to make the most of its siteAlventosa Morell Arquitectes’ low-energy house in Catalonia nestles into the landscape
-
This light-filled Spanish house is defined by openness and geometryA Spanish house by Arquitecturia Camps Felip is designed around its courtyards and its six volumes’ bold geometry
-
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
-
Spain’s Casa Primitiva is ruled by simplicityThe pared-back Casa Primitiva by Hanghar fits in perfectly in its semi-rural Spanish context
-
Year in review: top 10 houses of 2022, selected by Wallpaper* architecture editor Ellie StathakiWallpaper’s Ellie Stathaki reveals her top 10 houses of 2022 – from modernist reinventions to urban extensions and idyllic retreats
-
Roz Barr’s terrace house extension is a minimalist reimaginingTerrace house extension by Roz Barr Architects transforms Victorian London home through pared-down elegance
