Escola Massana. Art and Design centre in Barcelona (Spain)

The Massana School forms part of the long transformation process of the Gardunya Square, situated in the heart of Barcelona’s historical district.

This project responds to the will of creating a luminous interior made up of open spaces in its 11,000 square meters of usable surface area, while at the same time achieving an exterior that remains harmonious with the urban web in which it stands.

The building is split, both in terms of volumetric as well as in the solution of the facade, in response to the surrounding constructions. With the objective of giving it a more unique and sculptural character and simultaneously diminishing bulkiness, the part of the building that faces the square is decomposed into two rotating volumes that generate different terraces.

The ceramic piece reminiscent of a brise-soleil that covers the exterior emphasizes its volumetric will while at once protecting the student’s privacy.