David Chipperfield Architects . b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos . photos: © Duccio Malagamba . + Mies van der Rohe Award
The office building is located within ”Campus Audiovisual”, a part of the regenerated 19th century industrial area of Poblenou, fronting a southern section of the Diagonal and close to the boundary of the Eixample and Sant Martí areas of the city of Barcelona. The site occupies approximately one quarter of an urban block within Idefons Cerdà”s masterplan. Simple and bold sculptural forms have been carved out of the given project boundaries.
The spaces between these buildings of that urban block form small piazzas – social spaces that link the buildings of the masterplan. To reinforce the object-like quality of each individual building within the masterplan, their massiveness and materiality are expressed and the sculptural approach to the design is supported by the monolithic look of the building.
The abstract quality of the façade is generated by a random pattern of full-height window openings. Coloured, glass fibre reinforced concrete panels are arranged vertically over the entire façade and into the lining of each window space with a precision and sculptural quality appropriate to both the climate and craft traditions of Barcelona.
These panelled façade elements are insulated and form an integral part of the façade assembly together with the solid block work wall and the internal office surface cladding.
In contrast to more recent office buildings with a high percentage of glazed façade units, the Campus Audiovisual building has a reduced ratio of window areas thus minimizing the amount of solar heat gain and energy consumption for office cooling and conditioning. Environmental efficiency is further enhanced by the fact that the building shape has only approximately 14% south facing façades and variations in the width of the window components respond to the orientations of each façade.
The simple plan form of the building provides flexibility and permits a variety of space configurations with full height windows in every space. The arrangement of window elements and their locations within the slender footprint of the floor plate provide natural light to the areas within the office zones – internal glare blinds allow adjustment for individual user requirements. The concrete stair and lift cores are metal and glass clad whereas the other main structural elements – the columns – are cast in situ with a fair faced concrete surface. In the main office spaces additional and flexible installation is supported within the raised floor and suspended ceiling zones.
David Chipperfield Architects; b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos
Manuel Gujber, David Chipperfield Architects, Serena Jaff, David Chipperfield Architects, Melissa Johnston, David Chipperfield Architects, Claudia Lucchini, David Chipperfield Architects, Emmanuele Mattutini, David Chipperfield Architects, Cristina Algàs, b720 Arquitectos, Albert Arraut, b720 Arquitectos, Clara Bernadàs, b720 Arquitectos, Antonio Buendía, b720 Arquitectos, Cesar Bustos, b720 Arquitectos, Pablo Garrido, b720 Arquitectos, Jaime Luaces, b720 Arquitectos, Laura Marticorena, b720 Arquitectos, Alexa Plasencia, b720 Arquitectos, Yolanda Roma, b720 Arquitectos, Miquel Santos, b720 Arquitectos, Mónica Xampeny, b720 Arquitectos, Martin Eglin, David Chipperfield Architects, Mario Cottone, David Chipperfield Architects, Luca Donadoni, David Chipperfield Architects, Magdalena Ostornol, b720 Arquitectos, Daniel Valdés, b720 Arquitectos; Engineering: Master; Project architect: Jochen Glemser, David Chipperfield Architects; Structural engineering: Obiol, Moya y Associats;
El solar se inscribe dentro del ámbito del Campus Audiovisual, que comprende el conjunto de terrenos delimitado por la Avenida Diagonal y las calles Llacuna, Almogàvers y Ciutat de Granada. El edifico responde a la voluntad de integrarse a la nueva composición del sector de forma coherente y armónica siguiendo el criterio definido en el P. E. R. I. y posteriormente ajustada su volumetría (bajo aprobación de la Comisión de Calidad del Ayuntamiento de Barcelona) por el equipo de arquitectos David Chipperfield Architects, Fermín Vázquez (b720 Arquitectos) y BB GG Arquitectes.
La propuesta del sector se convierte en un peine permeable de conexión entre la Avenida Diagonal y el interior del ámbito del Campus Audiovisual. De esta manera se crean espacios de acceso público que unen los distintos volúmenes. Aún siendo una propuesta permeable y de fachada no continua en el frente de la Diagonal, el hecho de alinear todos los testeros de los edificios con la avenida crea una secuencia de volúmenes iniciadas por la Torre Agbar y produce un efecto de integración con todo el eje que parte de la Plaza de las Glorias. La relación volumétrica, espacial y urbanística entre el edifico y los futuros edificios vecinos traza una relación especial en la parte de convergencia entre ellos con el lado mas cercano a la calle Ciudad de Granada, mimetizando los cruces achaflanados del ensanche barcelonés.
El edificio consta de dos partes diferenciadas. Las plantas inferiores, con forma de romboide irregular, se alinean a la Diagonal y se convierten en el basamento del edifico, mientras que las plantas superiores, con forma de rectángulo trapezoidal, rompen la alineación con la Diagonal retirándose hacia el interior de manzana y creando un volumen más esbelto que corona el edificio.
