Public or outdoor places that pass unnoticed have the capacity to both attract and repel us, and the spaces beneath bridges or overpasses are certainly no exception. Both drawing upon and challenging these deep-seated feelings, furniture designer Fernando Abellanas has created a functional studio under an urban bridge that may just change the way you think about these spaces forever.
Brilliantly simple, the Underpass Studio employs a series of basic tools and surfaces to create an urban living space that is both directly attached to and clandestinely separated from the city of Valencia, Spain. To access the studio area complete with its suspended table and chair, visitors must use a hand-crack to traverse a large architectural ravine. Once in place, the moveable platform that brought you to this amazing space now doubles as your main living area.
From your new position, you also have access to the cement crossbeam of the bridge understructure beside you. Maintaining the inexpensive and minimalist aesthetic that gives the Underpass Studio its charm, Fernando Abellanas has transformed this crossbeam into a stripped down shelving system that stores essential items such as a camping light and a sleeping bag.
If you’ve never thought that living under a bridge could be a good thing, you may want to take a close look at this amazing project.