Raventos House in Calella by Antonio Bonet Castellana

The iconographic Raventos house designed by Catalan architect Antoni Bonet Castellana, perhaps best known for designing the iconic B.K.F butterfly chair with Juan Kurchan and Jorge Ferrari Hardoy, was built between 1973 and 1974 and is one of the latest domestic proposals of the architect.

Raventos House Technical Information

Architects: Antonio Bonet Castellana
Location: Calella de Palafrugell, Gerona, Spain
Material: Reinforced Concrete
Typology: Residential Architecture / House
Scale: 2 stories
Gross Area: 770 m2
Plot Size: 3100 m2
Project Year: 1973 – 1973
Photographs: © Finques Frigola

Raventos Villa Photographs

Road access of Raventos House in Calella by Antonio Bonet Castellana

Bird View of Modernist House in Calella by Antonio Bonet Castellana

Vaults at Raventos Villa in Calella by Antonio Bonet Castellana

Interior space - House in Calella by catalan architect

Red Kitchen - Raventos Villa in Calella by Antonio Bonet Castellana

RAVENTOS HOUSE ARTICLE

The modernist residence is located in the beautiful landscape of Costa Brava and is perched above and into a rocky outcrop. From the road, one can only see the silhouette of the upper floor where the house features a semi-circular design characterized by strong concrete cantilevering volumes with arches carved into them.

These arches are also in the interior, where they manifest as a series of vaulted ceilings in the main living space. Built in reinforced concrete, the vaults rest on large concrete beams allowing transversal views inside the space. The succession of vaults encompasses three separate seating areas and a dining space, all arranged to face walls of glass and clerestory windows that frame the coastal views.

The house hosts seven bedrooms located on the lower level which seem to be embedded into the earth. By using stone on the façade, the architect camouflages the bedrooms and emphasizes the level above. Each room has sliding glass doors framed by geometric cutouts into the thick stone exterior wall that opens onto the sea views.

Project Floor Plan

Floor Plan of Raventos House by Antonio Bonet Castellana

Ground Floor Plan of Raventos House by Antonio Bonet Castellana

About Antonio Bonet

Antonio Bonet i Castellana was a Spanish architect from Catalonia. He began his career with Josep Lluís Sert and Josep Torres Clavé and was a member of the GATCPAC. In 1936 he joined the atelier of Le Corbusier in Paris before going to Argentina and Uruguay.

He is best remembered as one of the designers of the “BKF” Butterfly chair, as part of the Austral Group, in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1938, along with partners Juan Kurchan and Jorge Ferrari Hardoy.

From 1971 through 1975, his studio in Barcelona Spain was run by the Head of Studio, Miguel Cervantes Martinez Brocca, an Uruguayan Architect who then became head of the Central office of Bellas Artes in Spain.