Lighting engages in dialogue with the architecture in this farmhouse that preserves the traces of the past

As in life, memory enriches architecture. Keeping the origins in mind and designing from an understanding of what was once there, of what once was, caring for those traces so that they do not disappear, will always lead to a result with greater soul. Casa Empordà, an 18th-century farmhouse in the Catalan region from which it takes its name, holds that memory within its thick stone walls.

Bonjonch studio is responsible for its restoration, which follows the lines laid down in the past and draws their encounter with the present, creating a setting for retreat and pause. Past, present and future are joined by a thread of respect. Respect for the region’s architectural language: stone, small windows, pitched roofs, whitewashed walls, ceramic vaults, exposed beams and terracotta floors. Elements that place the house in its context and make it a cool, pleasant place. Respect for local craftsmanship.

This respect extends to the interior design, defined by a neutral colour palette and furniture with clean, organic lines, and also to the lighting, designed according to the same philosophy with a selection of luminaires that reduce their structure to the finest, most subtle line, allowing the architecture to speak and life to unfold peacefully through routines of rest. To create different moods depending on the moment and the place. To engage in dialogue with the natural light that filters through the windows and falls on the limewashed walls, giving the interior a sense of suspended time. To heighten that effect and accompany the transition into night. To accompany without imposing.

In the dining room, Wireflow Lineal draws a delicate graphic composition in space. Suspended above the table, the meeting point par excellence, it structures the space without occupying volume thanks to Arik Levy’s essential design, with black cables and slender metal rods as its only elements. Its direct, focused light falls on the table and accompanies conversation, the enjoyment of food and the lingering moments after a meal. Light and suspended in the air, it engages in dialogue with the exposed beams and whitewashed walls, while highlighting the chromatic accent of the terracotta-toned chairs.

In the living room, the moment of gathering takes on a more relaxed character. With a modular sofa as the centrepiece, it invites shared rest and intimate, unhurried gatherings. Here, the lighting recedes into the background and takes the form of a floating sculpture with Cosmos, designed by Lievore Altherr Molina, with individual pieces that evoke small spheres suspended in balance. In the living room of Casa Empordà, they add a touch of colour with lacquered finishes in green, light grey and chocolate brown, a palette that converses with the tapestry beside them on the wall.

In one of the bedrooms, Tempo, also designed by Lievore Altherr Molina, shows in its diamond version how lighting can be integrated into the architectural plane. Its opal glass structure plays with opacity, translucency and transparency to diffuse the light, which is released in a filtered beam. Inspired by lighting archetypes from different cultures around the world, it brings into physical form a reverence for shadow and natural rhythms, for controlled light that accompanies natural light during the day and prepares the body for rest at night. It is integrated into the space as wall lighting beside the window, a discreet and elegant source of wellbeing.

Beyond this application, Tempo expands its possibilities through composition. Available in three shapes —disc, diamond and oval— and two sizes, the collection explores the interplay between opacity, translucency and transparency to create different lighting atmospheres. As part of Composing Pendants, it allows a single luminaire to be positioned freely or multiple pendants to be combined from a single electrical point, adapting each composition to the rhythm and scale of the architecture. Discover how to compose with Tempo.

Likewise, Pin, designed by Ichiro Iwasaki, accompanies moments of disconnection, retreat and reading with its slender silhouette and precise, focused lighting. A point of light that appears in table or floor versions in different corners of Casa Empordà, adding warmth without intruding.

The clear light of the Empordà sky filters through the small windows of Casa Empordà and moves through its rooms, bouncing off the limewashed walls, the stone and the beams. It glides over the vaults and dissolves. It does so now as it did in the 18th century, thanks to an intervention guided by respect for memory. Inside, precise, well-designed lighting does not detract from its prominence, but enhances it and engages in dialogue with it. It brings warmth and wellbeing, sets the rhythm and accompanies moments of gathering, celebration and rest. It is an example of how, when design is guided by common sense, past and present enter into a fruitful conversation so that anyone who sets foot in this place of retreat never wants to leave.

Credits:
– Project by @‌ignasibonjoch⁠
– Interiorism by Andrea Serda y Anna Catasús⁠
– Photography by @‌mercegostphoto

Featured Products:
– Wireflow Lineal
– Cosmos
– Tempo
– Pin