The contemporary architectural landscape is increasingly shaped by a concerted effort to redefine and invigorate our built environment, particularly through heritage rehabilitation. This involves a broad spectrum of research, philosophical underpinnings, historical considerations, and practical endeavors. Architects approaching a transformation, renovation, or preservation project often deploy diverse strategies and innovative tools to foster a harmonious relationship between the existing historical fabric and newly introduced elements. A recent exploration into the creative processes and guiding principles of three distinguished Madrid-based architectural practices—SOLAR, Pachón-Paredes, and BA-RRO—highlights their profound appreciation for the intricate value of historic buildings, recognizing them as invaluable repositories of materials, structural insights, and construction methodologies from bygone eras.
Madrid's Vision for Heritage Rehabilitation: Blending History with Modernity
In Madrid, the vibrant capital of Spain, three architectural firms—SOLAR, Pachón-Paredes, and BA-RRO—are at the forefront of heritage rehabilitation, challenging conventional notions of preservation and embracing a nuanced approach that values both historical integrity and contemporary relevance. Their work, published on February 17, 2026, by ArchDaily and authored by Agustina Iñiguez, delves into the motivations, methodologies, and philosophies driving their projects.
The question of what elements to preserve and what to transform in a historic building is central to their work. Ba-rro emphasizes that their starting point is always the context and the existing structure. They believe that preservation should not be an indiscriminate act but a thoughtful decision based on the element's potential role in a new transformation. For them, a project represents a symbiosis where both the old and the new mutually benefit. This firm highlights that new opportunities arise when a material or structure takes on an altered meaning, moving beyond its original intent. They focus on the relationships—the joints and connections—between the existing and the new, seeing preservation as an architectural operation rather than a romantic gesture.
Pachón-Paredes is motivated by a critical stance against arbitrary demolition and the rapid obsolescence of structures. They advocate for selective demolition as a design tool, allowing for the identification and revelation of the more enduring layers of a building, such as its structure and infrastructure. These layers not only represent significant material and energy investments but also embody collective memory and historical construction knowledge. By recovering these elements, they seek to activate this accumulated wisdom as a contemporary resource, making the building’s history part of a larger social context. Their approach considers the building as an active support system, capable of accommodating multiple uses over time, thereby extending its useful life and reducing environmental impact.
SOLAR views past buildings as rich repositories of materials, energy, and human effort, making their transformation an ecological imperative for future generations. Their ongoing research, titled “Architectures of Repair,” constantly explores novel intervention methods for existing structures, emphasizing sustainability.
The integration of modern construction technologies with traditional building practices is another key aspect. Ba-rro utilizes familiar and traditional construction systems, but recontextualizes them to give ordinary materials new meanings. They see the construction site as a dynamic space for negotiation, where structural requirements and unforeseen conditions influence the final design, transforming construction into an active part of the design process. SOLAR, on the other hand, embraces a dialogue of contrast, blending traditional craftsmanship with industrialization. In projects like Casa Castelar, they meticulously restore 19th-century façades using artisanal techniques while applying modern methods like CNC-cut recycled aluminum cladding to rear façades for ease of installation and future adaptability. Pachón-Paredes interprets this dialogue through a stratified reading of space, preserving permanent layers that embody historical technical and cultural knowledge while integrating ephemeral, flexible layers with modern precision and assembly techniques. They utilize prototypes as central tools to test new relationships between body, object, and space, fostering an “ecology of objects.” Furthermore, they draw inspiration from vernacular traditions and passive energy systems, reinterpreting cross-ventilation and natural lighting not as styles but as spatial and thermodynamic knowledge.
Looking towards the future, these practices see heritage rehabilitation as a vital contribution to contemporary housing. Ba-rro views rehabilitation as a process that extends architecture across time, fostering adaptable solutions that respond to individualized living styles while remaining rooted in context. They aim to create archetypal structures that can endure and transform, providing open scenarios rather than rigid forms. SOLAR believes that rehabilitation is an ideological and aesthetic reflection, incorporating memory without dogmatic preservation, and focusing on an architecture that remains relevant amidst constant change. Pachón-Paredes highlights that domestic spaces are becoming crucial cultural, social, and productive infrastructures. With most European housing facing obsolescence, rehabilitation offers a laboratory to update living conditions, questioning inherited typologies and creating flexible, polyvalent spaces that accommodate diverse activities. Their “NON–BINARY CROSS SPACE” series exemplifies this by optimizing existing structures to minimize impact and maximize long-term versatility, ensuring that architecture functions as a support for collective memory and a catalyst for change.
From a reflective standpoint, this exploration into Madrid's architectural practices unveils a profound paradigm shift in how we perceive and interact with our built heritage. It challenges the conventional dichotomy between preservation and progress, urging us to recognize the inherent value in the existing. The architects’ emphasis on sustainable practices, adaptable designs, and the integration of historical knowledge with modern innovation offers a compelling blueprint for future urban development. This approach not only safeguards the material and intangible legacies of the past but also actively cultivates spaces that are resilient, flexible, and capable of evolving with human needs and environmental demands. Ultimately, it inspires a vision of architecture that transcends mere aesthetics or function, becoming a dynamic mediator between generations, an active participant in ecological stewardship, and a testament to the enduring power of human ingenuity and collective memory.