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Piers Taylor and Caroline Quentin travel to Spain, a country with a tradition of flamboyant and fearless architecture. Rural House comprises 11 specially crafted steel boxes.

In this episode Piers Taylor and Caroline Quentin travel to Spain, a country with a tradition of flamboyant and fearless architecture. Their journey begins in north east Spain in the foothills of the Pyrenees. Here Fina, a famous chef, commissioned equally famous architects to build a family house. Made of metal and designed to resemble agricultural buildings, Rural House sits on the edge of an escarpment. It comprises 11 specially crafted steel boxes linked by a steel corridor buried into the land. Inside the decor is minimal with everything, even the TV, hidden within steel panels. Piers is 'thrilled' by this 'piece of high art' but Caroline wonders if she would like to live in a metal house.

In the quiet suburbs of Madrid architect Anton Garcia-Abril has built himself a daring family home. Hemeroscopium House is made of seven vast concrete and steel beams each supporting the other in an upward spiral held in place by a 20-tonne lump of granite. All these components would normally be found in huge construction projects like bridges and motorways, yet despite the 230-tonne concrete shell, the house feels light and homely inside. And Caroline loves the aerial swimming pool.

Solo House is hidden away in the wilderness of Aragon. A space-age circular building which sits on a plateau, it has external walls that slide open to create rooms that engage with the wilderness beyond. Caroline discovers that the owner is planning to build 15 high-concept houses here, all designed by leading architects.

The final destination is House for Three Sisters in the arid lands of Murcia. Three sisters wanted a holiday home to enjoy each other's company, but also have private spaces. So the architects created a fluid compound in which a trio of separate structures are arranged around a shared courtyard and rural land. The ranch-style buildings have their own views, roof terraces and enclosed terraces. Caroline and Piers join their hosts for a family feast in the shared courtyard.

58 minutes

Clip

Music Played

  • Arcade Fire

    贬补茂迟颈

  • Antonio Forcione

    Alhambra

  • Laura Mvula

    Green Garden

  • Laura Mvula

    Green Garden

  • Lemon Jelly

    In The Bath

  • Lemon Jelly

    In The Bath

  • The Killers

    Spaceman

  • Lemon Jelly

    Nice Weather For Ducks

  • Air

    Modular Mix

  • Ennio Morricone

    A Fistful of Dollars: Main Theme

    Conductor: Derek Wadsworth. Performer: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • The Cheeky Girls

    Cheeky Flamenco

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Caroline Quentin
Presenter Piers Taylor
Production Company Wall to Wall Media
Series Producer Simon Davies
Director Mike Ratcliffe
Executive Producer Anna Miralis

Broadcasts