Civic Centre Cristalleries Planell, Barcelona, Spain. Harquitectes.

The Cristalleries Planell Civic Centre designed by the spanish practice Harquitectes occupies a site in the manufacturing district of les corts in Barcelona which, with its difficult triangular shape, is distinguished from the 1800’s perpendicular mesh of the rest of the city. it is an interesting refurbishment project of the existing factory which takes the same name of the artistic cristalleries planell built in 1913 by the architect josep graner i prat and it has been listed by the local heritage on two facades towards carrer d’anglesola and carrer dr. ibànez because it is an expression of the catalan modernism. The resulting volume is the response to the rigid triangular geometry of the site but also to the functional needs linked to the new use. Reconciliation filters from a compositional point of view between the new and the existing, the two atria, illuminated from the top they play a fundamental role in micro-climatic functioning of the building while optimizing natural lighting and ventilation as acting as an acoustic barrier with the surrounding environment. The articulated roof contributes to these function while incorporating four imposing ventilation shafts. These devices together with the atria allow to limit the energy usage while optimising the summer and winter operations of the building.

Espressione del modernismo catalano, la fabbrica di cristallerie artistiche Planell è stata trasformata in un centro civico caratterizzato da un’articolata copertura che ospita quattro imponenti camini di ventilazione.