Collective housing in Torre Baró by Josep Miàs

Josep Miàs designed these dwellings in Barcelona, highlighting the importance of claddings and giving it absolute role, understanding the facade as a continuity without revealing the different levels of the building. The volume is organized in a U-shaped floor opening towards a square connecting with the ground floor, creating public spaces.

Vivienda colectiva en Torre Baró por Josep Miàs. Fotografía © Adrià Goula.

Memory of project by Josep Miàs

Topographically, the plot, with a pentagonal shape, is in the middle of a slope. In order to take advantage of this situation, the owners suggested a programme of an underground parking, commercial facilities on the ground floor and housing on the upper levels. The project is surrounded by other housing buildings, so it is, in fact, in the middle.

The building is thought of as a volumetric reference for the whole housing complex (which was designed by a competition process) and for the public space proposed by the urban plan.

Architecturally, the U-shaped project has different levels and it is circumscribed in a trapezoidal basis. It faces the eucalyptus square, so the diaphanous ground floor is an extension of the public space. However, the limit with Sant Feliu de Codines Street is defined by a 31-metre-tall façade, which clearly separates public and private space.

Generally, there are 4 apartments per level, although in the last two levels, there are only two. The volume percentage is achieved thanks to the progressive decrease of the levels’ surface (as it goes up).

The project has the aim to be perceived as an entity, not showing the different levels which form it. For this reason, façades are not designed as a simple piling up, but as a single element. From the square, the volume doesn’t show clearly what happens inside it, it just hints the inner patio. The façade produces slight movements of its dress to blur its shapes, to hint, to offer trompe-l’oeil...

Regarding sunlight and ventilation, by locating all the apartments around a patio, with the same façade perimeter, the building gets really efficient.

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Patio abierto, Vivienda colectiva en Torre Baró por Josep Miàs. Fotografía © Adrià Goula.

Planta superior, Vivienda colectiva en Torre Baró por Josep Miàs. Fotografía © Adrià Goula.

Interior, Vivienda colectiva en Torre Baró por Josep Miàs. Fotografía © Adrià Goula.

Model, Collective housing in Torre Baró by Josep Miàs. Photography © Josep Miàs.

Basement floor, Collective housing in Torre Baró by Josep Miàs.

Ground floor, Collective housing in Torre Baró by Josep Miàs.

Seventh floor, Collective housing in Torre Baró by Josep Miàs.

Eighth floor, Collective housing in Torre Baró by Josep Miàs.

Ninth Floor, Collective housing in Torre Baró by Josep Miàs. Josep Miàs.

Section, Collective housing in Torre Baró by Josep Miàs.

Axonometric exploited of facades, Collective housing in Torre Baró by Josep Miàs.

Constructive detail, Collective housing in Torre Baró by Josep Miàs.

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More information

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Architects

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Josep Miàs.

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Project team

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Adriana Porta + Silvia Brandi (project leaders), Carles Bou (technical advisor), Fausto Raposo, Bárbara Fachada, Mafalda Batista, Lluís A. Casanovas, Cristina Feijoo, Francesca Giovaninni, Anna Mallén, Anna Mañosa, Daniel Montes, Josep Puigdemont, Benedetta Slucca, Pablo Varesi, Enric Argemí, Mario Blanco, Horacio Arias, Stefania Carboni, Margherita Corbetta, Mannick Eigenheer, Isabelle Glenz, Diogo Henriques, Silvia Lai, Pier Francesco Lisci, Roberta Luna, Francisca Marzotto, Ines Reis, Diego Romero, Emanuela Scano, María Tapias, Christian Giovanetti, Giovanni Galdieri, Gabriele Mura, Laura Pomesano.

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Collaborators

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PROISOTEC, Josep Masachs (engineering), BOMA (structure).

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Client

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Client.- Barcelona Council, Regesa, Bagursa.

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Dates

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Date.- 2012 (completion).

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Area

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Surface.- 5000 m².

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Location

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Barcelona, Spain.

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Budget

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Budget.-

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Photography

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Adrià Goula.

JOSEP MIÀS

Josep Miàs, Architect COAC/ARB. 1992_ETSAB_UPC, Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona_Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.

From 1990 till 2000 he worked as Associated Architect with Enric Miralles, developing the following projects Círculo de Lectores in Madrid, Sports Hall in Huesca, Centro de Alto Rendimiento in Alicante, Library in Palafolls, Parc dels Colors in Mollet del Vallès, Cemetery in Igualada, Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, DiagonalMarPark, Santa Caterina Market and GasNaturalBuilding in Barcelona. In 2000, Josep Miàs founded his own studio.

Among won architectural competitions, these are the most important first prizes: Girona Central Park Station, Banyoles Old City Refurbishment, Barceloneta Market, Rubí Market, Golf Fontanals de Cerdanya Clubhouse, Tibidabo Funicular Station and Herta Frankel Puppet Theatre in Barcelona, Girona Annexa-Puigbert Primary School, Plug-in Building 22@ in Barcelona, Torrebaró Apartment Building in Barcelona, San Bernardo Apartment Building in Madrid, Dakar Music Recording Centre and Village in Senegal, Palafolls Pedestrian Bridge, Miño Sil Water Confederation Headquarters in Ourense, Arenys Mental Health Centre and iGuzzini Barcelona Corporate Building.

Josep Miàs’ works have won several awards, some of them are: AJAC Best Young Architect Award 2004 for Golf Fontanals de Cerdanya, Special Mention Girona Architecture Award 2005 for Mollet single house, First Prize Girona Architecture Award 2007 for Banyoles Old City Refurbishment, City of Barcelona Architecture and Urbanism Award 2007 for Barceloneta Market, Catalonia Construction Award 2009 for Banyoles Old City Refurbishment, Architecture Aplus Award 2011 Best Educational Building in Spain for Annexa-Puigbert Primary School, Building of the Year 2011 Archdaily Award_Winner World Best Building of the Year, and WAF World Architecture Festival 2012 Shorlisted World Best Building of the Year both for iGuzzini Barcelona Corporate Building.

From 1992, he has developed teaching activities in Architecture Schools in Europe, America and USA: Design Department Professor at Barcelona School of Architecture ETSAB_UPC Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Design Department Professor at School of Architecture La Salle BCN, Director of the Design Department and Deputy Director at School of Architecture ESARQ_UIC_Universitat Internacional de Catalunya and Professor in UCL University College London_The Bartlett School of Architecture,UNISS Università di Sassari_Facoltà d’Architettura Alghero, Frankfurt Stadelschule and USA Harvard Graduate School of Design GSD.

He has been invited to read lectures and head up workshops in a large number of universities in Spain, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, United States, Mexico, Uruguay, Brazil, Singapore and Panama among others.

His work, as well as his writings, have been published in international magazines and books, and his buildings have been exhibited in many exhibition halls as COAC_Barcelona, Arquería Nuevos Ministerios_Madrid, Cité de l’Architecture_Paris, Stadelschule_Frankfurt, Architektur Forum_Zurich, TU University_Berlin,House of the Architect_Kiev, Bartlett School of Architecture_London, 2012 Biennale di Venezia, and WAF 2012 Singapore.

Currently, he is Associate Professor at the Barcelona School of Architecture ETSAB_UPC Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya_Barcelona, Visiting Professor in UNISS Università di Sassari_Facoltà d’Architettura Alghero andTeaching Fellow in UCL University College London_The Bartlett School of Architecture.