Studiolo. Toward a Space of the Mind

The Italian term studiolo, which has no direct equivalent in Spanish, refers to a place of retreat and thought, dedicated to intellectual pursuit and the contemplation of art. These spaces were often adorned with symbolic representations of the world and intended to contain all knowledge within them. Typically hidden away from the main circulation of palaces—almost secretive and small in size—they served as tailor-made refuges for their inhabitants. Although the origins of the studiolo lie in the Renaissance, it is a space that endures to this day.

This thesis proposes to view the studiolo, already studied as a historical phenomenon, as a materialization of the mind. A space inseparable from its user and independent from physical needs or functional programs, where, through various architectural processes of spatial appropriation, everything begins to function as a closed system revolving around the individual’s inner universe.

The research aims to recover and contemporize this space, to bring to light its deeper qualities—those that transcend empty data—and to recognize many other instances of its existence throughout history.