Teleno Studio's House in Penumbra: Shadow as Design Material in Madrid

Madrid-based Teleno Studio has completed House in Penumbra, a renovation of a 56 m² apartment in a 19th-century building in central Madrid. The project reframes small urban living by choreographing shadow and material depth rather than maximizing brightness. A central oak volume houses the bedroom and en-suite bathroom, allowing kitchen, dining, living, and storage to flow around it as a continuous social space. The kitchen is designed as a floor-to-ceiling dark wood volume with an Emperador marble opening, treating cooking as a social performance. Natural light is filtered through linen curtains and olive-toned textiles, creating a diffused, ambient interior. Floor-to-ceiling mirrors amplify subtle shadow gradients, while objects from Kyoto and Osaka add a quiet cultural undertone. The bathroom features a red travertine marble sink and metallic microcement, evoking a Japanese sento. The project joins a growing conversation in Madrid about renovation in dense urban fabric, with comparisons to Plutarco PDL70 House and Casa Charca Verde by Aceboxalonso.