02.03. Iranzo House (1955-56)
Architect: Josep Maria Sostres i Maluquer
Location: c. Apel·les Mestres, 8-10 (Esplugues de Llobregat)
The sun and the panoramic point of view determine the theme of this architecture to a large extent, which results in a form that is very open toward the south and in the use of large blank surfaces to the north. The distribution of the living area, which occupies the top floor, determines the volumetric organization in each area, with a central articulation that corresponds to the staircase. The lower floor is occupied by the entry hall, services and garage. Thus, theme Bauhausian in origin, and it emphasizes the correspondence between function and space-volume.
In the finishes, the more traditional stuccoed and limewashed surfaces are replaced with a more refined cladding technique using white stoneware tiles and ceramic corner pieces, also white. The metallic elements (structure, door and window frames, railings) are painted in a very dark green that is equivalent to black in how it is perceived. The compactness of the volume offers a strong contrast to the landscape. There are no external shutters, only shades and small cornices, so that no integrating element overhangs the walls.
The house corresponds to a period when a greater conceptual demand was combined with the experimental mentality of the time as a way of generating what was considered to be architecture “befitting of the time”. This attitude was out of synch with the rest of Europe, where the crisis of the International Style had already been internalized across the board in the cultural media. However, the fear that skipping over stages could risk breaking the continuity of history forced the most conscientious architects to make this compromise.
Sostres, speaking today about the Iranzo house, expresses this idea when he says: “The clichés of the twenties are no longer considered valid. Everyone is aware; magazines are talking about nothing else. However, amid doubt and enthusiasm, the experiment must be repeated so that it can be overcome right away in all areas: technical, formal, public tastes, etc.”
2C Construcción de la ciudad, no. 4, August 1975, p. 41.