Binomial House. Living the staircase as a domestic space

In the Conde Duque neighborhood of Madrid, the transformation of a duplex redefines the role of the staircase, from a simple connecting element to a spatial device capable of organizing light, functions, and ways of living, shaping a fluid and deeply personal interior.

A house to reinvent without changing neighborhood

Binôme House, designed by gon architects, was born from Philippe's desire to move without leaving, staying in the Conde Duque neighborhood but radically rethinking the home where he had lived for five years. The penthouse, an internal 80 sqm duplex in a building from 1900 renovated in 2006, had an extremely narrow section - just 3.25 meters - and a distribution that was not consistent with a lifestyle that is both social and introspective. Overly compartmentalized spaces, a terrace disconnected from the interior spaces, and an invasive and poorly positioned staircase compromised the overall quality of the space, despite the privileged view towards the silhouette of the Torre de Madrid.

The staircase as a spatial device

The heart of the project is the complete redefinition of the staircase, the element that more than any other concentrated the critical issues of the house. Originally a steel monolith, rigid and bulky, the staircase is moved to the opposite side of the house, along the east wall. This choice involves a radical structural intervention: the opening of a new void in the floor and the almost total emptying of the interior, temporarily transformed into a single continuous volume of 181 m³. From this tabula rasa emerges a new lightweight and almost camouflaged staircase, composed of 7 cm steel shelves that, in some points, become suspended steps. No longer just vertical circulation, but an integrated system that becomes a bookshelf, seating, support surface, and resting space.

A binomial of connection and permanence

The escalator is configured as a true spatial binomial: it connects and at the same time welcomes. It is here that the project reveals its most contemporary nature, inscribing itself in the line of interior design projects that transform technical elements into inhabitable spaces. This hybrid device completely reorganizes the house: on the lower floor, the shared spaces are concentrated — kitchen, living room, dining room, and terrace — while the upper level hosts the more intimate functions, with two bedrooms, a bathroom, and an open and flexible central space. The new configuration enhances the entry of natural light and promotes cross ventilation, maintaining a constant relationship between interior and exterior.

Material, Light, and Reflections

The choice of materials strengthens the narrative identity of the project. The continuous ceramic floors recall the traditional terracotta tiles of southern France, reinterpreted in large contemporary slabs that unify interior and exterior. The terracotta color creates a visual continuity between the two levels, conceived as two connected exteriors linked by the staircase. In addition to this, there is the strategic use of mirrors, which cover key volumes such as the bathroom and the master bedroom, multiplying the space and dissolving boundaries. Casa Binôme is thus configured as a large continuous domestic space, where the staircase becomes a place, a stage, and an infrastructure of daily life, capable of accommodating sociability and intimacy in a delicate and measured balance.

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PEOPLE

gon architects

Calle de San Lucas, 6, 2ºD, 28004 Madrid