MicroScale explores architecture at its most intimate spotlighting tiny designs with outsized ideas; compact structures that rethink space, material, and function. From tiny houses to pocket retail, these projects prove that small architecture can be radical, poetic, and deeply human, revealing how scale sharpens innovation rather than limiting it.
Set within Bilbao la Vieja, the renovation designed by Tabula Studio transforms a compact seventh-floor apartment into a highly adaptable urban retreat. Through an open-plan arrangement and an integrated bed-and-bathroom core, Chiquitopavilón balances contemporary living with the memory of its former occupant, preserving the apartment’s identity while establishing a dialogue between functional design, attention to detail, quality materials, and a unique sensitivity to the history of each place.
Located in the historic district of Bilbao la Vieja, opposite the Ribera Market and overlooking the San Antón Bridge, this renovation by Tabula Studio reimagines a compact seventh-floor apartment while maintaining a strong connection to its past. Occupying just 25 square metres and complemented by a terrace with views towards Miribilla, the project demonstrates how thoughtful design can transform a limited floor area into a comfortable and highly functional living environment.
The project demonstrates how thoughtful design can transform a limited floor area into a comfortable and highly functional living environment.
The intervention is organized around an open-plan layout that consolidates the kitchen, dining, and living areas into a single continuous space. An integrated sleeping zone incorporates a double bed and an en-suite bathroom with a built-in shower, allowing the apartment to accommodate all essential domestic functions without compromising spatial clarity.
The design prioritizes continuity, openness, and adaptability.
Beyond its spatial reconfiguration, the project is shaped by the history of its former occupant, Josu, founder of the neighborhood’s renowned record store Discos Oxford and a well-known local figure.
The renovation approaches the apartment as a repository of memories, seeking to preserve its atmosphere while adapting it to contemporary living requirements.
The intervention establishes a dialogue between past and present, allowing traces of the apartment’s history to remain perceptible within its renewed setting.
Material choices contribute to the project’s understated character.
The kitchen is by Logos Scoop, for which Tabula Studio is an official supplier. Storage furniture by the Italian brand Zalf fits seamlessly into the space. The countertops, both in the kitchen and bathroom, are by RMC, a Portuguese company specializing in marble and recycled materials. Thoughtful details such as a Kartell side table and a painting by local artist Iñaki Bilbao complete the design.
The project reflects a design approach grounded in precision, restraint, and contextual sensitivity. Through the careful reorganization of a modest footprint, the renovation demonstrates how small-scale residential interventions can extend beyond questions of functionality to engage with memory, identity, and place.
The result is a compact urban retreat that balances contemporary living with the enduring character of its history, offering a nuanced example of adaptive renovation within Bilbao’s evolving urban fabric.
Plans
Fact & Credits
Project title: Chiquitopavilón
Architecture: Tabula Studio
Project type: Interiors
Project location: Bilbao La Vieja, facing the San Antón Bridge
Client: Private Commission
Total Area: 25 m²
Year: 2025
Photography: Erlantz Biderbost