Duplex Penthouse, Barcelona

A duplex penthouse in Barcelona, designed by By Shakir from concept through to installation. The commission covered both floors: spatial planning that connects the levels through light and sightlines, a material palette drawn from Mediterranean stone and textile traditions, and bespoke furniture scaled to the architecture of each room.

The Brief

A duplex penthouse in one of Barcelona's residential neighbourhoods, purchased as a primary home for an international client. The brief was clear: two floors that feel like one continuous space, not a house split in half. The terrace needed to function as a third living area for most of the year.

The Approach

The staircase became the central design element. Rather than treat it as a functional connector, we designed it as a sculptural piece that draws the eye upward and links the two levels visually even when you are standing on one floor.

Materials were chosen for how they age in Barcelona's climate. Natural stone flooring that stays cool underfoot in summer. Linen and cotton textiles that soften in sunlight rather than fade. Timber detailing in a finish warm enough to balance the stone.

The terrace was treated as an interior room with weather-resistant versions of the same material language used inside: the same stone, similar textile tones, furniture of equal quality. The boundary between inside and out dissolves rather than shifts.

The Detail

Furniture procurement for this project involved sourcing from manufacturers in Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. Each piece was specified during the 3D visualisation stage and approved in context, in the correct light, at the correct scale.