THE MASS AND THE ETHER | Gallardo Llopis Arquitectos

Surrounded by orange trees that in springtime give off their pleasant and aromatic scent of orange blossom and on the banks of the Turia River, this house in Valencia sits under a poetic title that, when unraveled, takes on a complete architectural sense.

A light and elegant plan is presented in this house as the minimum expression of shelter, where diaphanousness is achieved by eliminating the limits of the interior space and reconfigured by the projection of its own shadow. Its name, "The mass and the ether" is clearly represented by a stone volume that harmoniously supports an imposing cantilever that generates, through its corporeality, an architecture that guarantees intimacy, while allowing one to enjoy the beauty of the exterior spaces.

The singularity provided by the slight overhang of the plane under whose shade the program of the day area is developed, is undoubtedly one of the visual attractions of this house. An element whose meticulous materiality becomes a reality thanks to the planked concrete that through its peculiar texture provides, as if it were wood, warmth and craftsmanship. Its lightness lies in the harmonious arrangement of its flight that slides elegantly taking as an anchor point the volume that houses the rooms of the night area. The low thickness of its edge further embellishes this element and its apparent lightness is emphasized by the glass planes that are arranged under its roof.

The contrast between forcefulness and lightness is key in this project where it is necessary to analyze the program of the house to understand its composition. The architecture of the house adapts to the urban and geometric conditions of the plot, with alignments that necessarily move away from orthogonality. The different geometries and volumes that accommodate the day and night areas are adapted to the irregular shape of the terrain, which links the project to the site.