HOTEL OD BARCELONA | Víctor Rahola Arquitecte

Architect: Victor Rahola i Aguadé

Interior designer: Mayte Matutes Juan

Technical Architect: Joaquim Barrufet

Promoter: MAP BEACH GESTIONS, S.L

Construction Company: ROCA BORRÀS, S.L

Structure Consultant: BAC ENGINEERING CONSULTANCY GROUP, SL

The purpose of this project has been the refurbishment and change of use of the office building Carburos Metálicos company, built in 1991 in Barcelona. Located at 300 C/Aragó, it has a built area of ​​5444m²; the ground floor is divided in two different levels whereas the rest of the surface is staggered in six floors. Due to the volumetric composition of the building, terraces appear every two floors.

In order to act in accordance to planning regulations, there was no possibility to modify neither the structure, nor the volume, adapting the new functional program to the existing conditions.

The public area on the ground floor is a unified space with a complex circulations layout due to the plan’s own configuration. The lobby, reception, dining room, bar and lounge, as well as the relationship with the outdoor terraces and gardens is organized by built-in furniture.

The public areas are designed as hybrid spaces, taking into account the functions that are spatially differentiated due to their mobility or their characteristics, mixing chairs, high tables and low tables. The outdoor and the indoor spaces are related each other, throughout a glazed façade that connects the gardens with the bar and restaurant.

The room is not proposed as the classic bedroom with bathroom and corridor. Electronic devices will be part of the furniture, and they will be the origin of a new room concept: it will be a space not only to sleep, but also to work, play, write and receive friends.

The refurbishment also takes into consideration sustainability requirements. The first strategy is to consider an overall refurbishment while preserving the existing structure as a way of saving energy, time and costs. The proposal also features bioclimatic to achieve the maximum reduction of energy demand: cross ventilation, extra thermal and acoustic insulation, rooftop gardens, enclosures and passive protections.

Furthermore, a new green façade covers part of the existing curtain walls, improving the thermal and acoustical insulation of the façade, and providing a vertical garden to one of the busiest street junctions of the city.