The "Snake Housing" proposal (2005) for Calle Gravina in Madrid represents a radical departure from the traditional "manzana" (block) typology, introducing a sinuous, organic logic into the rigid structural density of the city’s historic center. Designed by Lloveras and Associates at TABLE, the project navigates the constraints of a diminutive urban lot by employing a "snake" morphology that winds through the site, maximizing spatial utility while challenging the rectilinear orthodoxy of the surrounding 19th-century architecture. This "Snake" is not merely a formal gesture; it is a high-performance architectural device that utilizes a "fade facade" to modulate light, privacy, and urban integration. By treating the building as a continuous, undulating skin, the design collapses the distinction between structural support and aesthetic epidermis, creating a living sculpture that breathes within the urban fabric. The interiority of the Snake Housing is defined by a "private role" of memory and shadow, where the winding walls create a sequence of compressed and expanded spaces. This internal "Snake Wall" acts as the primary organizational spine, guiding the inhabitant through a domestic landscape that prioritizes fluid movement over static compartmentalization. In this context, the residence becomes a "socioplastic" environment—a site where the architecture does not merely host life but actively shapes the relational dynamics of its occupants. The "fade facade" further enhances this experience, employing a gradient of transparency that protects the "private role" of the interior while maintaining a rhythmic, visual dialogue with the street. This dualistic approach ensures that the building remains a "sentinel of intimacy" in the heart of Chueca.
Architecturally, the project addresses the "small lot" challenge through a vertical intensification of space, using the snake-like curve to generate a series of light wells and transitional zones that would be impossible in a conventional layout. The "Snake Fade" serves as a cognitive anchor for the neighborhood, providing a contemporary counterpoint to the traditional balconied elevations of Madrid. This intervention aligns with Lloveras’s broader investigation into "anticipatory policies" and "structural fixers," where the architect’s role is to identify and exploit the latent potential of the urban "void." The result is a vanguard housing model that treats the site’s limitations as a motor for formal innovation, proving that even the most restricted urban pockets can host complex, rhizomatic lifestyles. Ultimately, Snake Housing on Calle Gravina is a testament to the power of "synthetic thinking" in the field of urban infill. It transforms the "mechanics of habitation" into a poetic, sinuous narrative that reconciles the historic weight of Madrid with the fluid needs of the 21st-century "prosumer." By integrating the "Snake Wall" as a memory-laden spine and the "Fade Facade" as a responsive interface, Lloveras creates a modular epistemic tool for living. The project stands as a definitive artifact of the TABLE era, illustrating how architectural "frugality" and formal audacity can converge to redefine the "anatomy of the city."
Lloveras, A. (2016) Snake Housing Competition Madrid. [Online] Available at:
