Architects: TdB Architects Photography: Del Río Bani Construction Period: 2019-2023 Location: Barcelona, Spain
EVOLUTIONARY AND TIMELESS STRUCTURES
The commission presents the challenge of transforming an old baroque palace from the 18th century located in the historic center of the Roman layout of Barcelona, to adapt it to collective housing. This is possible because the building’s diaphragm structure admits certain evolutions. The project delves into the limits of transformation of this type of building of the national architectural heritage.
PROJECT STRATEGY
1. The typological strata of the levels are conserved: Ground Floor destined for premises (former stables), Main floor destined for a single residential unit (Historic Palau Moxó), upper floors destined for housing (former dependencies of relatives and services).
2. The new dwellings are contained within each of the diaphragms formed by thick stone masonry walls.
3. The structure of the original patios is maintained to organize the accesses and ventilation of the dwellings.
4. An old stair core is recovered to solve the access to the houses on the upper levels.
5. All newly created homes are duplexes, whose accesses are concentrated through a single corridor on the first floor, located in the central courtyard.
6. The covers maintain the original configuration, integrating the installations.
CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE
The construction systems used correspond to the Catalan tradition of aforetime: wooden beams, stone masonry walls, Catalan ceramic vault, recovery of wooden carpentry, restoration of ceilings and coffered ceilings, marble flooring at entrances, wrought iron railings and complementary elements, etc.
Text provided by the architect.
