Gancedo’s new corner: a textile laboratory bearing the seal of EstudioReciente

Gancedo have turned their flagship store in Madrid, at Velázquez 38, into something more than a store: a living space that’s remodelled every few months with the cooperation of designers, architects and interior designers. This initiative has become a window into creativity and partnership, boasting names as impressive as Codoo Studio, AS Interiorista, Welcome Design and Be Water Home to name but a few.

On this occasion, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the company, the project finds itself in the hands of EstudioReciente, founded by the architect Carlos Tomás. Entitled “A Natural History”, their proposal is a profoundly visual homage, both experimental and poetical, to the Gancedo textile universe. 

A textile laboratory: EstudioReciente’s take

The heart of the project is a space that Carlos Tomás defines as “an adjusted textile laboratory”. In it, fabrics aren´t woven: they’re “de-cultivated” and “unravelled”, revealing their origins and the crux of their being. It’s a charming metaphor for the journey back  to the natural, where materials are seen to shed layers as they return to the starting line.

According to the study, nature doesn’t disappear but rather remains trapped between the warp and the weft, like intimate knowledge lingering across decades of savoir faire. It’s a declaration of love to handcrafting processes and the hidden language of textiles.

A textile membrane encouraging us to enter

The corner is separated from the rest of the showroom by a textile membrane, almost as if crossing it were like entering another world.

This fluid frontier encourages the visitor to cross the threshold into the installation and experience it immersively: touching, looking closely, journeying through the layers…

It’s an experience that envelops you, a little sensory trip inside the store.

Illustrations recounting 80 years of history

A series of blueprints illustrated by Irene Nacimiento, inspired by scientific biological drawings from bygone days, tops off the anniversary homage.

These works recount little stories about different members of the Gancedo family and celebrate some of the most important achievements in their eight decades of existence.

These are pieces that blend art, memory and technique, conferring a very special narrative dimension on the project.

The atmosphere

One of the most eye-catching characteristics of the corner is a metallic structure designed by Carlos Tomás that emits a very soft pink light. This illumination lends the space an intimate character, almost introspective, reinforcing the idea of a laboratory and underlining the experimental air of the proposal.

The combination of metal, light and textile creates a warm, contemporary, highly photogenic atmosphere.

With this contribution, Gancedo have once again shown that their corner is a space for surprising, taking risks and relating to new creative sensibilities. EstudioReciente’s proposal provides the perfect match for that spirit: experimental, poetical and deeply material-friendly.

It’s a project celebrating the legacy of the company while, at the same time, opening doors to new ways of looking at textiles.

About Carlos Tomás and EstudioReciente

Behind this highly atmospheric project is Carlos Tomás, founder of EstudioReciente. After several years working in Switzerland, he returned to Madrid to create a studio at ease in the confluence of architecture, interior design and object design. His work stands out for its blend of precision and playfulness: spaces that are extremely orderly yet full of colour, texture and small visual surprises.

His work has been recognised on lists such as AD100, and among his projects, as well as offices, remodelling of homes and hotels, Espacio AXOR at Casa Décor 2022 stands out, a sensory proposal that reinterpreted the bathroom as a warm, intimate almost sculpturesque place.

Photography: Germán Saiz