The Spanish architect’s transformative apartment project in San Sebastián defies traditional domestic boundaries, advocating for a more flexible and inclusive approach to modern living
Photography by Hiperfocal
Words by Mandi Keighran
As the idea of home continues to shift, Spanish architect Ismael Medina Manzano’s Unplanned Domestic Prototype offers a provocative reimagining of what a living space can be. Located in San Sebastián, in an apartment built in 1966 and shaped by the rigid needs of post-war Spain, the project is a departure from conventional architecture, designed to anticipate the unpredictable rhythms of modern life. Rather than a home designed around a predefined idea of its inhabitants, the compact apartment allows for flexibility and an engaging dialogue between people and space. ‘We are not giving the owners a fixed life,’ explains Medina Manzano. ‘We are giving them a platform for evolution.’
Photography by Hiperfocal
Originally designed to be small, efficient and compartmentalised, the three-bedroom apartment reflected an approach typical of its time. Medina Manzano saw an opportunity to break free from these constraints, reject traditional boundaries and embrace flexibility, adaptability and openness.
‘The original layout was disconnected from the realities of today,’ he explains. ‘We needed to create a space that could evolve with its inhabitants, not one locked into a particular way of living. We can’t predict what will happen in five, 10 or 20 years.’
Photography by Hiperfocal
Medina Manzano’s approach was not to erase the past but to amplify the existing space. ‘The design was about liberating and regenerating the inherent forces of the space,’ he says. The transformation began by removing one of the three bedrooms to expand the living area, offering more room for socialising and flexible use. ‘We didn’t want to impose a new identity,’ he explains. ‘We wanted to reactivate what was already there, allowing the history of the place to be an active agent within the transformation.’
This philosophy of flexibility runs throughout the apartment and the layout is a choreography of elements that can be constantly reconfigured – a design decision that allows for flexible interactions. A workday, for example, might seamlessly shift from an indoor table to one near the terrace, and the living room transforms from a space for social gatherings into a guest bedroom.
Photography by Hiperfocal
Similarly, an adjustable granite table can serve as a kitchen extension, dining surface or workspace, supporting different activities as the residents’ needs evolve, and mobile planters not only allow for easy reconfiguration of the space, but also bring nature into the home. ‘The project operates like an urban space within the home – shared, multipurpose and open,’ Medina Manzano explains. ‘Domesticity becomes a fluid and collective act.’
Materiality was also an important factor in building flexibility into the apartment, both now and in the future. The continuous cement floor invites the possibility of transformation and allows for the easy reconfiguration of walls over time. Reclaimed materials, such as salvaged furniture and granite, further reinforce this idea of fluidity and the potential for ongoing life and adaptation.
Photography by Hiperfocal
A defining feature of the Unplanned Domestic Prototype is the curved wall clad in vibrant green ceramic tiles. The curved face literally embraces the open kitchen-living area, creating a zone within the apartment without imposing a fixed programme, while the back of the wall is utilised for practical storage. ‘The wall is about more than just aesthetics,’ he says. ‘It’s about amplification of the space, to give the kitchen and the social area more importance.’
A sandstone ‘portal’ cuts through the curved wall, linking the entrance hallway to the social spaces. Crafted from locally sourced San Sebastián sandstone, this dramatic doorway reflects Medina Manzano’s commitment to materials that respond to their context. ‘It just makes sense,’ he says. ‘Why import marble from other countries when the perfect material is right here?’ The raw sandstone offers a striking contrast to the rest of the interior, its roughhewn texture a tactile reminder of the quarrying process and the stone’s origins.
Photography by Hiperfocal
Mirrors also play a significant role in the scheme, enhancing both the sense of space and fluidity of the compact interior. Strategically placed within the kitchen, the mirrored surfaces reflect light and movement, creating an everchanging experience. ‘The mirrors not only expand the space visually but also encourage a more dynamic interaction between people and the environment,’ says Medina Manzano.
For Medina Manzano, the Unplanned Domestic Prototype is not just a design solution but a blueprint for the future of housing. ‘Architecture is not just a product, it’s an interconnection of elements: materials, politics and society,’ he says. ‘This apartment is not a final product; it’s a platform for what could happen in the future. As architects, we need to create more flexible domestic infrastructures, not fixed solutions. This project represents more than a home – it’s an infrastructure for a future where adaptability and sustainability are at the forefront of design.’
This story appears in our latest ICON Magazine Issue 217
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