A former industrial warehouse in Madrid, Spain has been transformed into a vibrant multipurpose events space that preserves the building's industrial character while adding contemporary design elements. The project, called Patio, was designed by local architecture practice Burr Studio and features a striking bright yellow entrance area, textured rendered walls, and distinctive circular skylights that flood the interior with natural light.
The conversion serves as a venue for artistic productions, special events, and artist residencies, representing a broader initiative to revitalize Madrid's abandoned industrial buildings. Burr Studio developed this project as part of their wider program called "Elements for Industrial Recovery," which aims to protect and breathe new life into the city's numerous disused industrial spaces that have fallen into obsolescence.
"Over the past three decades, industrial activity in central Madrid has steadily diminished, reaching a point where it has virtually disappeared," explained the architectural team. "As a result, urban industrial buildings have become obsolete – too large for local commerce, too costly for industry, too constrained by regulations for recreational use, and financially unappealing to younger generations inheriting family businesses."
The design approach was influenced by the client's artistic practice, which focuses on concepts of "perceptual distortion." Burr Studio responded by creating a layered series of walls, openings, and sliding doors inserted within the original warehouse shell. The architects strategically placed two larger volumes, which they describe as "spatial anchors," to mark the beginning and end of the circulation route through the renovated space.
A bold primary color palette defines the interior design throughout the facility. Near the entrance, a striking yellow volume houses essential functions including bathrooms, storage areas, and mechanical systems, while projecting into a kitchen and dining space. This dining area features stainless steel counters complemented by blue and red furniture, completing the vibrant color scheme that energizes the entire space.
At the opposite end of the warehouse, the second major volume consists of a large timber storage unit that helps create a more private room suitable for live-in accommodation during artist residency programs. Between these two anchoring elements, the center of Patio maintains a flexible organization of studio and events spaces, with the rendered walls intentionally stopping short of the large pitched roof.
The roof itself has been strategically punctured with circular skylights that draw abundant daylight into key areas of the venue. "The roof's continuity is preserved as a defining element, visible from any point in the space and strategically perforated to bring natural light into key areas," the architects noted. Along one edge of the building, a narrow strip of open space between the warehouse and neighboring structure has been converted into a linear courtyard filled with potted plants.
"The key to preserving these spaces lies in hybrid uses," Burr Studio emphasized. "These industrial buildings cannot be understood rigidly; they require a more fluid approach to occupancy that takes advantage of their spatial qualities while balancing the costs of adaptation." The design incorporates regularly spaced openings that combine fixed glass panels with overlapping sliding doors, creating what the architects describe as "a seamless interplay of transparency and reflection."
This Madrid warehouse conversion joins a growing trend of adaptive reuse projects that transform industrial buildings into cultural and artistic venues. Similar projects include Fala Atelier's conversion of a warehouse and office in Porto into residential space, and the transformation of a concrete sports facility in Colorado into an arts hub, demonstrating the global movement toward preserving industrial heritage through creative adaptation.
