New Modern Concrete House in Madrid Resembles A Bunker. But What A Bunker!

One of the most popular posts ever featured on this blog was that of a large concrete home in Poland by kwk promes, whose sliding walls and ominous exterior resembled a modern fortress.

This recent project, Concrete House II, from Spain's architecture firm, Joaquin Torres' A-Cero, gives that sanctuary a run for its money with its wild bunker-like appearance. The modern residential home features giant angular planes inside and out.





Externally, the home has an austere appearance. Dark grey concrete angled walls replete with landscaping allude to an underground residence, although the home is above ground.





Inside, the home has a surprising amount of light and echoes the exterior with it's angular kitchen counters, desks and faceted furnishings. Along with a modern kitchen, a formal dining room, den and office, bedrooms and baths, the home has a screening room and ambient lit underground parking garage. Great attention is given to both the interior and exterior lighting, utilizing spot lighting and concealed ledge lighting.

The kitchen features very unusual counters, island, table, and range hood whose slopes and planes are reminiscent of the residence's exterior design:






The foyer showcases modern art and interior atriums:



The expansive living room has giant glass windows and illuminated marble coffee tables:


Formal Dining:


The screening room:

Bedrooms:



Bath:

The office and study feature an angular desk, floating stairs and a modern inset fireplace:


Driveway and parking garage entrance:

The garage entrance:

The home even features a parking garage with LED lighting to guide you into your spot:

The terraced backyard:


Details
The beautiful glowing illuminated marble coffee tables and built in ledges found in the home are by Albatros Designs and have been featured previously in this blog:


Designer Arik Levy's mirrored rock shaped coffee tables are a perfect compliment to the homes shape:


Unusual lighting treatments can be found throughout the home:

More images of the exterior and landscaping:




Architectural plans:





All images courtesy of A-Cero.

Finally, A Good Look At Yuri Milner's $100 Million Dollar Mansion.

above: the front facade of the most expensive home ever sold in the United States

It's been all over the news for the past few days. The most expensive single family home ever sold in the United States was recently purchased by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner for $100 million dollars.



Yuri Milner, 49, heads Digital Sky Technologies is a major investor in Facebook Inc., Groupon Inc. and Zynga Inc. He is also the stocky founder of DST, a Moscow-based fund that's made a splash in Silicon Valley via its investments.



The 25,500 square foot home in Silicon Valley's Los Altos hills is a limestone French-style chateau with indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis court and pavilion, a ballroom, a library, a gameroom, a theater and wine cellar.

Entry hall:

Kitchen:

Formal Dining room:

One of the Living rooms:

Library:

Game Room:

His Bath:

her Bath:

Master bedroom:

Master bedroom's sitting area:

Theater:

Upstairs Hall:

Loggia:

Tennis Pavilion:

Hilltop views:



Aerial views:


images courtsey of the architect and the AP

The home, referred to as the Loire Chateau, sits atop an 18-acre hilltop site with panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay. The classical estate was inspired by an 18th-century French Chateau and is organized around a central entry court enclosing a formal entrance on three sides. The north wing is designed for entertaining on a grand scale, with a ballroom, formal dining room, home theater, wine cellar and spa/gym, while the south wing houses family rooms and bedroom suites. The living areas are all located on the second floor to take advantage of the dramatic Bay views.

Designed by classical architect William Hablinksi
Interiors by David Desmond
Landscape by Thomas Klope