Can Batlló

Escola Tecnica Superior d'Arquitectura de la Universitat de Girona, Girona

Project idea

Barcelona is one of the most visited tourist destinations with many landmarks and attractions, bringing foreigners from all over the world. However, the locals and their needs are remaining in the background. The Sants neighborhood is an example of lack of public spaces for its residents. There are not enough green areas and playgrounds in the neighborhood, nor places for social and cultural activities. For that reason, it may be said that the inhabitants of the Sants district are forced to use parts of the abandoned industrial zone as they see fit.The area itself has an old industrial spirit with its most characteristic features - the narrow streets, typical construction and materials. The factory complex is consisted of a large main body and numerous servicing ones, really typical for the industrial complexes of the late 19th century. The very good condition of the buildings and the imprint of new time on them, expressed by graffiti, playgrounds, small reconstructions and social events, require their preservation and development. For this purpose, we strive to preserve the industrial spirit in a new and modern urban environment, giving it the social and cultural functions that the neighborhood needs.

Project description

By choosing this approach, we preserve the many narrow streets created by scattered service buildings and their bodies. Moreover, not only do we preserve the typical construction of the factory but also show it by peeling off parts of the buildings, revealing the wooden truss in a glass coat. Besides the interesting trusses, we make an interpretation of the slender columns of the main body in the exterior, using them for emphasizing the main entrances. In this way, we create a modern public space for cultural and social activities that keeps history alive.
Honoring the power of the book and reading in our lives, all the books from the archive are exposed in the middle of the main body in a big glass box expressing the heart of the library and the cultural center at all. A robotic system is constructing for picking up books in the glass box and providing them to the readers. Everybody will be able to see how the robot is moving in a maze of books, taking the ones, which people have already chosen. In this way, we create a modern public space for cultural and social activities that keeps history alive, remaining people amazed and curious about reading, encouraging young people to be active in different spheres of art, sport and culture and providing relaxing and green areas for the citizen of Barcelona.

Technical information

Everything is assigned in the project photos.