In 1968, Javier Carvajal designed the Sagrada Familia residence in the Puerta de Hierro district of Madrid. Conceived as a student residence with a library, common spaces, and a chapel open to the public, the complex is organized around a cloister that opens onto a garden of large trees. Completed in 1969, the building is defined by a series of abstract black-brick prisms that appear to float above one another and over the landscape, forming one of the most significant examples of Carvajal’s architecture.
After more than fifty years of intensive use, the building had accumulated technical deficiencies, improvised installations, and pathologies caused by water and terrain. The intervention addresses these conditions through a careful process of restoration and upgrading, with the aim of preserving the architectural integrity of the original project while improving its performance.
The strategy focuses on the precise repair of both construction systems and spaces, alongside the integration of new technical installations. Particular attention is given to ensuring that these updates remain invisible, allowing the original spatial qualities and material expression to remain legible.
The refurbishment extends to the guest and priest rooms, which had become functionally obsolete. Each unit is treated individually, updating finishes, services, and exterior elements such as terraces and planters, while maintaining their relationship with the garden and natural light.
The project restores the initial balance between architecture, landscape, and use. The building recovers its original atmosphere: spaces once again open, luminous, and connected to the garden, where material, light, and vegetation reinforce the quiet intensity of the ensemble.
