What do you do when a Madrid apartment’s roof is literally on the brink of collapse? For architecture studio Bardo, led by Emiliano Domingo, the answer wasn’t just a fix, but a transformative act of architectural alchemy. Their project, Casa Cometa (Comet House), is a breathtaking renovation in the Tetuán neighbourhood that turned impending structural failure into a luminous, weightless haven. The solution? An ingenious second floor conceived as a massive, inhabitable truss.
The core challenge was stark: design a new roof structure capable of bearing loads and preventing collapse, yet light enough not to overwhelm the compromised building below. Crucially, this structure needed to become valuable new living space. Collaborating closely with structural engineer Manuel Ocaña, Bardo developed a radical, highly precise answer: a lightweight tubular structure. Its genius lies in the “atomization” of its supports. Instead of concentrating weight on a few points, anchor points were meticulously distributed across the entire surface.
“This atomizing of the supports,” explains the studio, “allowed us to avoid stress concentrations and gain rigidity, as if stitching the roof together.” The result is a structure that achieves the seemingly impossible: solidity and lightness coexisting. This new mezzanine level didn’t just save the building; it added 15 precious square meters for rest and retreat, all while enhancing the home’s overall stability.
This feat of structural engineering transcended mere problem-solving. It became the project’s soul. The structure evoked a profound “sense of weightlessness” for Domingo, akin to “a kite floating in the air.” This single, potent image of visual weightlessness became the driving force behind every subsequent decision – inspiring the name Casa Cometa, dictating material choices, and shaping the colour palette.
The material choices upstairs consciously amplify this ethereal quality. Sky blues and luminous creams bathe the new mezzanine, enhancing the feeling of floating. Downstairs, the home finds its visual grounding with deeper, heavier tones: dark blues, warm wood, and earthy terracotta. Bridging these realms, Bardo strategically deployed cool, reflective materials – mirrors, glass bricks, and steel – to capture and amplify light throughout the compact 48m² ground floor plus mezzanine. The effect is a house that genuinely feels buoyant, a delicate vessel hovering within its urban shell.
Furniture (largely curated by Espacio Betty) complements the architectural narrative. Pieces like the &tradition ANT4 chairs and Muuto’s Around coffee table offer clean, contemporary lines. Sculptures by artist Iria Martínez appear thoughtfully placed – on the staircase furniture, mezzanine floor, and living room tables – adding moments of organic artistry that contrast and converse with the precise geometry. The overall aesthetic speaks to Bardo’s philosophy, described as using “geometry as a primary tool” to deliver innovative solutions reflecting client individuality, while drawing inspiration from diverse masters like John Pawson and Carlo Mollino.
Casa Cometa is more than a successful renovation; it’s a testament to how structural ingenuity can birth profound spatial poetry. Bardo didn’t just prevent a collapse; they crafted a home that embodies lightness, proving that constraints can indeed launch the most inspired flights of design – a true comet streaking across Madrid’s architectural sky.