Offices Asepeyo / Ventura Valcarce Architect

In a lively and modern city like Barcelona, ??architecture plays an important role in maintaining standards of civility and quality. Moreover, thanks to social care to maintain a historical and collective, and concern for our environment, our buildings increasingly extend their lives beyond the life of your materials. Therefore, continued care and maintaining the buildings in use and restored and refurbished where necessary, essential to maintain high quality in terms of aesthetics, security and urban sustainability. As a starting point for a large company based in Barcelona, ??said the new building should show a clear corporate image consistent with its principles.

The project addressed the problem of existing high density zoned areas unclear and undefined. Architects always placed a strong focus to the organization, construction and design of all elements. The power of projecting a single gesture, the introduction of a line abstract clearly defined work area and the circulation space, program and organization. As it was necessary to maintain the structure and vertical circulation cores original, it was decided to restructure through a division of space, on one side with vertical communication, and the other with a clear space. The organization of the workspace is also highlighted by two linear cabinets, where services are hidden.

These physical partitions are fully integrated into the initial distinction “black and white” and dematerialized before reaching the front, extending the central space at the ends and allowing a total perception of the facades. This emphasizes even visually the relationship with the longitudinal exterior.

The general connection between different areas is done through a central longitudinal axis that visually connects two interior courtyards with natural light and ventilation. The facade is the plane of contact between the buildings and the street, a facade that shows the city and its citizens.

Therefore, solid and rigorous design of the plant is reflected in the main facade, to convey a corporate image to the outside clear, consistent and reliable. The few abstract lines of the plant, are found in the front with a breakdown of facade. The main facade looks one of the busiest streets in Barcelona, ??with a boulevard full of big old trees.

The transparency of the facade was not only used for energy issues, but also for aesthetics and ideology, despite the unfavorable orientation toward the West. In fact, this orientation toward the West and the high incidence of solar radiation decalor it is advisable to raise a double-skin facade, composed of an inner layer of glass tubes and metal walkways low emission, which allows the passage of the maintenance workers, while the front is cooled to provide hot air convection while it behaves like a “brise-soleil”, casting a shadow into the glass, and an external display etched glass by 40% reducing the transparency of the surface and, therefore, the transmission of solar radiation .

The end result is a flat facade with a shade of opal glass broken slides and screen-printed on a background of travertine marble that frames the whole. During the day, the facade vibrates with the reflections of the city and the sky on a double surface . At night, lights with elegance and subtlety of the strike causing an almost negligible for the transient distracting, but interesting for anyone who wanders at night in Barcelona with a curious look.