A raw concrete house in Alicante by Spanish studio Langarita-Navarro Arquitectos becomes the scene for a string of mysterious murders in this series of images by photographer Luis Diaz Diaz (+ slideshow).
Langarita-Navarro Arquitectos designed the two-storey Casa Baladrar as a holiday house in the Spanish town of Benissa, but Luis Diaz Diaz chose to photograph the building as is it were a crime scene, rather than an attractive tourist destination.
"Every time I take pictures of houses I think about all of the things that could happen inside," Diaz Diaz told Dezeen. "Many things happen in the life of a house, sometimes good sometimes bad; it can be robbed, or there could be a big party. So a house is the perfect place for creating a fantasy."
One image features a man slumped over the mint-green frame of one of the house's many large windows, while another features a woman lying behind a sofa on the terracotta tiles of the living room floor.
"I wanted to create a contrast between the clarity of the architectural lines of the house and these kind of weird events," explained the photographer.
These architectural lines include a series of faceted ceilings that angle back and forth through the open-plan living room and kitchen, which occupies the house's upper floor.
Architect María Langarita said they added these details to mimic the rugged topography that links the house with the sea. "We wanted a way to inhabit this rocky landscape," she told Dezeen.
A series of bedrooms are located on the level below. Like the living room, each one can be opened out to surrounding terraces by sliding back glass doors and perforated metal shutters.
"Our goal was to make a very open house, so when the windows are open they disappear completely behind these lively green lattices and you don't see any glass," said Langarita.
Matching green glass tiles cover some of the lower walls. There's also a swimming pool wrapping around part of the perimeter, which is depicted containing a body face-down.
Here's a project description from Langarita-Navarro Arquitectos:
Casa Baladrar
The scattered and trans-European city that the mountainous coast of Alicante has become, houses a heterogeneous population that is drawn to the sun, the sea, the temperate climate, the convenient public services and the leafy greenery.
The promise of relaxing and hedonistic experiences captivates both seasonal tourists and long-term residents who see their expectations fulfilled amongst jasmine and bougainvilleas. The project draws from this context and is designed to meet the demands of multiple families in the summertime and as a haven for retirees the rest of the year.
The house rests on terraces that were once used for farming, which resolve the steep gradient of the terrain. The plot's sloping nature means that there are some spectacular views of the sea from its upper reaches, while the lower portion looks over a wooded stream bed that carries water into a pebble-strewn cove.
The house takes advantage of the views and the breeze and makes the most of the uneven terrain and vegetation for the creation of small areas where activities can take place simultaneously, day and night. The existing trees were preserved and new species added in an effort to conquer the promising exuberance of local flora.
The interior spaces are arranged in a cascade, with common areas on the upper floor adjoining the terraces with their views, and bedrooms on the lower floor with access to the garden and swimming pool. The detail proposed for the openings eliminates all presence of glass when they are drawn back, transforming the house into an enormous porch that provides continuity between outside and inside activities.
The building uses the thermal inertia of the concrete and stone to its advantage, combining it with the lightness of the avocado green latticework and the glass tiles to create a cool and well-ventilated atmosphere. The house's geometry and mineral quality reflect the impressive Peñón de Ifach and respond to a desire for time travel, with a minimum amount of maintenance.
Project: Casa Baladrar
Location: Benissa, Alicante
Architects: María Langarita and Víctor Navarro
Collaborators: Marta Colón, Roberto González, Juan Palencia
Structures: Mecanismo S.L.
Date: September 2009
Client: Private
