![Sardenya Apartment by Raul Sanchez Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/10/raul-sanchez-architects-sardenya-apartment-architecture_dezeen_2364_hero_4-852x479.jpg)
Raúl Sánchez Architects uses black and white to define spaces in Barcelona apartment
Raúl Sánchez Architects has refurbished the Sardenya Apartment in Barcelona, creating an open-plan space with different functions defined by black and white tones.
![Sardenya Apartment by Raul Sanchez Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/10/raul-sanchez-architects-sardenya-apartment-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_21-852x690.jpg)
Raúl Sánchez Architects renovated the residential apartment on the fourth floor of a 1970s building in Barcelona to create a two-bedroom flat with a flexible layout for a single man.
The architect removed all but the structural elements of the apartment in the district of Gràcia – a popular neighbourhood of Barcelona known for its street life and great food – to create a largely open plan 75 square-metre bachelor pad that has views that reach the beach.
![Sardenya Apartment by Raul Sanchez Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/10/raul-sanchez-architects-sardenya-apartment-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_19-852x691.jpg)
Along with increasing the sense of space, the architect had to fulfil a brief that included a master bedroom with en suite, a living space, bathroom, room for an occasional guest, and a kitchen for a homeowner that loves to cook.
"I wanted to add a spatial richness to what was essentially a conventional starting point," Sánchez told Dezeen. "By keeping room functions ambiguous, the client could enjoy the apartment in different ways."
![Sardenya Apartment by Raul Sanchez Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/10/raul-sanchez-architects-sardenya-apartment-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_14-852x1310.jpg)
The apartment has been divided with two L-shaped non-structural walls used to define the shape of the kitchen and separate the bedroom from the main space.
"The idea of the layout is based on two L-shaped partitions," Sánchez continued. "These divide the interior yet allow the apartment to have a continual flow."
Brass wall trims are used to add colour and help to define the L-shaped zones, with the sink and taps also made from the material.
![Sardenya Apartment by Raul Sanchez Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/10/raul-sanchez-architects-sardenya-apartment-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_17-852x1307.jpg)
The master bedroom is separated from the main living area by glass sliding doors, which are made from a combination of matte, translucent and transparent glass in a geometric pattern that aligns when the doors are opened or closed.
The panels don’t reach the ceiling to allow more light into the bedroom.
![Sardenya Apartment by Raul Sanchez Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/10/raul-sanchez-architects-sardenya-apartment-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_22-852x816.jpg)
A black and white colour palette is used as a tool to delineate the flexible living space, with the kitchen almost entirely black to visually separate it from the white living area. The kitchen is At the narrow entrance, a mirror wall is used to create the illusion of a bigger space.
Black is also used for the window surrounds and in the ensuite bathroom, which is predominantly black with Brazilian granite used for the vanity top and shelves.
![Sardenya Apartment by Raul Sanchez Architects](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/10/raul-sanchez-architects-sardenya-apartment-architecture_dezeen_2364_col_12-852x734.jpg)
Sánchez extended the colour theme outdoors by using black textured porcelain tiles on the apartment's terrace.
Raúl Sánchez Architects recently converted two derelict apartments in downtown Barcelona into a house centred around a pair of double-height gold cubes and turned a five-bedroom house in the city into a weekend retreat.
Photography is by José Hevia.