Renovation in Tribunal is a minimalist home located in Madrid, Spain, designed by Donaire Milans Arquitectos. Located in Madrid’s Malasaña district, this second-floor apartment has undergone a transformation that’s less about decoration than revelation. The designers faced a classic Spanish urban housing challenge: how to bring natural light into deep, compartmentalized spaces originally divided into four bedrooms, two without direct ventilation. Their solution was not to merely rearrange but to fundamentally rethink the relationship between structure and space.

“The layout acts geometrically like a funnel,” the designers explain, describing how they’ve created a light path that draws the morning sun from three east-facing balconies deep into what was once a darkness-plagued interior. This required significant structural intervention – the original timber beams and columns have been reinforced with steel, allowing for the removal of brick walls and the creation of an open-plan living area.

The steel reinforcements serve double duty, becoming integrated tracks for artificial lighting that highlight rather than hide the building’s structural transformation. This technical solution represents a broader philosophy at work throughout the project – an honest expression of materials and interventions that acknowledges the building’s history while improving its functionality.

The material palette demonstrates remarkable restraint. Oak flooring connects with the original timber structure, creating continuity between old and new. Natural Campaspero stone appears in basins and shower floors, while fine microcement provides soft, minimal finishes throughout. These choices reflect a contemporary approach to Spanish modernism that values texture over ornamentation and quality over quantity.