Madrid studio MOCA revives 1970s domestic language in Carabanchel apartment

In Carabanchel, Madrid studio MOCA, together with Gádor Potenciano, has renovated a 110 m² apartment by recovering materials and elements typical of the 1970s, creating a rehabilitation strategy that respects the historical footprint while incorporating contemporary aesthetics. The project preserves the original spatial organization—large rooms, cross ventilation, and direct connection to the outdoors—and enhances it by exposing concrete beams and pillars, using continuous microcement flooring, and reintroducing original items such as green awnings, cast-iron radiators, and wooden furniture. The intervention avoids decorative solutions, working with materials that age gracefully: microcement unifies the space, stainless steel adds a technical note in the kitchen, and peeled pine wood appears in joinery and fixed furniture. A restrained color palette allows accents like red glazed ceramics and antique furniture to stand out. The architects did not reorganize the floor plan but transformed how it is perceived, blurring boundaries and making the space completely legible. The project is documented by photographer Germán Saiz.