Balzar's GE Apartment Renovation in Valencia Treats Original Features as Design Assets

Studio Balzar completed the GE Apartment, a 300-square-meter renovation of a late 19th-century modernist building in Valencia, steps from the Mercado de Colón. Rather than working around protected original elements like ironwork balconies, ceramic floors, leaded glass, and carved moldings, the studio used them as the starting point for a new spatial conversation. The material palette follows a wabi-sabi sensibility with travertine, lime plaster, raw wood, linen, and wool, prioritizing texture over color. Furniture includes vintage pieces from Nekonato Gallery by Percival Lafer, Sergio Rodrigues, and Alvar Aalto, alongside contemporary designs by Vincent Van Duysen and Viabizzuno lighting, plus bespoke commissions. The renovation respects the original room sequence while opening visual connections through lime-plastered walls, travertine surfaces, and woven textures. Natural light is treated as a material, activating surface textures. The studio describes the result as 'a contemporary classic' where historical and modern coexist without nostalgia.