The studio b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos has turned the new project into a sustainable model for the city. The building is structured in a series of heterogeneous and flexible workspaces connected horizontally that extends along a longitudinal axis, where each one has a unique character that favours orientation and the entry of natural light and ventilation.
The roof has a surgical cut that guarantees accessibility to the entire building, through permeability and circulation, connecting the lower floors with the upper floors. This strategy also allows for simple and easy maintenance of the roof.
The architectural proposal includes energy-saving measures and the use of sustainable materials, optimizing natural lighting, ventilation and water management to achieve a building with zero CO₂ emissions, through the installation of solar panels, cogeneration systems and responsible management of rainwater.
BlueTechPort by b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos + GPO TYLin. Rendering by b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos.
Project description by b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos
The new Hub of the Port of Barcelona, BlueTechPort (BTP), located in a strategic position between the city limits, the Port and the Montjuïc mountain, will become a new element of connection between the city, the Port and the future expansion of the Moll de la Fusta.
The intervention highlights the volume and unique structure of the existing building, preserving the identity of the port environment and at the same time seeking an avant-garde and technological image. The uses that do not fill the access space are built in a new volume that protrudes from the existing roof and becomes a new landmark for the port that floats above the horizon of the deck of the warehouses. This volume recognizes the uniqueness of the new Innovation Hub, turning it into an urban reference and establishing a new dialogue of contrasts between the conservation of heritage and its enhancement through contemporary actions.
The BTP building will become the benchmark for the city's blue economy, a destination in itself, considering design decisions that position it as a new sustainable model for the rehabilitation of industrial buildings. The expansion of the interior volume allows for the creation of a representative entrance hall that encourages encounters and visual communication between the different levels. The two ends of the building on the ground floor and the exterior plazas are connected through a sequence of public spaces, in the image of the adjacent maritime landscapes, while the upper level is connected through surgical cuts made to the roof that allow circulation and permeability between spaces, guaranteeing the accessibility of the entire building, as well as easy maintenance of the roof.
The proposal organizes a system of heterogeneous and flexible work spaces, structured through a sequence of interior plazas with their own identity that extend along a longitudinal axis that connects the warehouses on all levels. The horizontally interconnected squares structure the work spaces around them, giving each one a unique character that favors orientation, creating a hierarchy of spaces. These atriums of natural light and ventilation offer a vertical connection of circulations and views between the different levels. The second floor has walkways that cross the vaults and allow a total interconnection of all levels. This organizational system allows for different “sizes” that can be rented to different entities or “start-ups” offering the opportunity to increase the surface area depending on demand.
The proposal includes passive energy saving measures and the use of sustainable and certified materials. The optimization of the façade favors natural lighting and views from the interior, minimizing solar radiation. The openings in the roof favor the evacuation of accumulated hot air, allowing the building to act as a semi-outdoor space. In winter, solar protections allow the entry of radiation. The presence of vegetation regulates the feeling of comfort through evaporation while providing biophilia.
To achieve a building with 0% CO₂ emissions, more than 4,000 m² of photovoltaic solar panels are installed, which allow a peak power of 800kW, allowing for the provision of chargers for electric vehicles. In addition, cogeneration systems such as hydrothermal energy are incorporated to increase the performance of the air conditioning equipment. Rainwater is a scarce commodity, and as such it is collected on the roof and in the SUDS and managed by sanitary and responsible irrigation systems, with a 20,000L water tank installed in the south plaza.
