Vallirana 47

Vallirana 47 is a quite anonymous and discreet building. Its value doesn´t lie within any singular identity, but in the sense of continuity of an epoch. The work consists of the refurbishment of 5 of the 6 dwellings in the building, and the common spaces.

Aroused by the way of thinking of the client “Pontejos (conservation and preservation)”, we brought the project to a high level of hybridization between the new and the old, to which we had never achieved before. We worked with the identity of the building in a way that is both continuous and disruptive, with a respectful and at the same time playful attitude.

The new spatial arrangement is superimposed to the existing one in an expressive way, through friction and displacement. Pavements and ceilings incorporate the order and hierarchy of the original spaces, while the partitions express, at the same time, part of this memory, as well as the transformations made.

The new material additions hybridize with the pre-existing in its detailing and ornament. Many materials and elements of the building were reused, which maintain the atmospheric continuity. Everything that was added, links with this continuity, from the most tactile aspects to the most abstract ones: glazed tiles, application of graphic patterns extracted from the building's grids, wall papers, etc ... In this sensory approach, it was also incorporated the stratification of qualities that characterized the residential buildings of that time, specifically in the detail of some coatings and elements.

Finally, we built a density of layers of perception and information in the interiors, which provides complexity and vibration. Meaningful vibration for those who want to interpret it, which at the same time generates visual comfort, deliberately away from the smooth and anonymous surfaces, so the future tenants will feel at home from the very first day.

Vora: Alex Etxeberria, Quim Olea, Lorenz Kraut, Pol Bosch and Veronika Halo

Structure: Eskubi-Turró Arquitectes
Services: Quadrifoli
Budget control: Gerard Codina
Building management: Gerard Codina
Contractor: Metric Integra

Client: Pontejos. Conservación y preservación