The project is located on the site of the former Teatre Nou; it is made up of three properties (belonging to the same developer) designated 7 A and 13 A. The design proposes an alteration of use for plot 7 A, from recreational to health, and the unification of the underground levels of the three plots for use as parking space, by means of a Special Interior Conversion Plan.
For plot 7 A we propose an assisted living complex and a day centre, both privately managed, and for the two 13 A plots, housing.
Given the fact that the new project is an urban facility, the configuration of the corner of Avinguda del Paral.lel with Carrer Nou de la Rambla is justified for two reasons: on the one hand because the programme required it so, given that it is here that the shared and public spaces of the day centre are located; and on the other, and above all, because the aim was to regularise the two corners that configure the beginning of Carrer Nou de la Rambla. There is nothing worse in a city than two neighbouring corners with differing point configurations, as would have been the case here if the design had been carried out in accordance with the alignments provided for in the master plan for this area.
On plot 13 A on Carrer Nou de la Rambla (street numbers 114 to 116), taking into account both the light access and vista systems applicable in accordance with Catalan civil law and what the new design can bring in terms of positive contributions, the design proposes the opening of a patio as a solution for the problem that the side wall of the neighbouring build is too high.
Given the impact (due to the differences in height) of the side walls of the buildings bordering on both plots 13 A on Carrer Nou de la Rambla (street numbers 114 to 116) and Avinguda del Paral-lel (no. 65), it would be convenient for both the city council and the developer to include in the plans a proposal to minimise said impact.
The proposal favours, on the 13 A plots, construction upwards over construction on the horizontal level. One thus manages to simultaneously achieve the same building height as the neighbouring buildings and attribute a façade to the side walls – a worthy solution for the problem of the exposed side walls that have contributed so much to disfiguring the city of Barcelona. Furthermore, the separation between the residential buildings and the assisted living building gives a certain amount of independence to the latter facility. Compensation for surface areas is made within each plot, with no transfer of surface area between the two 13 A plots. |

Translation: CGG/JA


PROJECT NAME:
Housing and geriatric residence building in Paral.lel Avenue

LOCATION:
Barcelona, Spain

PROJECT PHASES:
Design date: 2001
Completion date: 2011

DESIGN TEAM:
Architecture:
Beth Galí – BB GG Arquitectes

Team:
Beth Galí, Jaume Benavent, Andrés Rodriguez, Ruediger Wurth

PHOTOGRAPHS:
Iñigo Bujedo Aguirre