Creating sculptural architecture that includes the warmth of a home is a challenge. And this project, with its large dimensions, its ambition and its location dominating all of Barcelona, ran the risk of becoming a showhome worthy of a photo shoot, but not to live in. To give it visual rhythm, everything superfluous was eliminated and the house was divided into three volumes. And to provide the necessary balance, all the unique elements, including the staircase, were accumulated in a central module, wrapped in copper. In this way, more subtlety is achieved in the rest of the building, using austere masonry walls on the outside and warm materials on the inside.
898 AGV
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The staircase in this building, treated as a decorative element, is also the axis around which this project with a sculptural vocation is articulated. The owner family proposed a very specific functional program and, since the plot did not offer special conditions, this vertical element became the point around which a unique game of proportions, volumes and materials developed.
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A grand, sculptured beam runs through the home and frames the scenery. This structural element is the aesthetic key to making this project possible, inspired by nature, it draws the surroundings in and captures your attention.
Inspiration for this project was born directly from the surroundings, close to the sea. From this, we see the aesthetic approach, great flights that unfold towards the horizon and high, glass spaces seeking to defy gravity. Each of the elements speaks of the privilege of infinity.
The beam that envelopes the building is the resource that makes all of this possible and furthermore, one that makes the domestic areas appear on a familiar scale despite their grand dimensions. It also becomes a frame that, as Ortega and Gasset said, draws in the gaze to pour it into the painting, which is, in itself, infinity.
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The stone walls guide the path of light and gaze in this house. Their presence speaks volumes and gives the project a sense of organisation. And, despite their solidity, as they are located on a transversal axis, these walls give up all the prominence to the intangible: they allow the sun to enter the interior from the south and draw in your towards the north, which offers some fabulous views over the Collserola valley. Sun, pines and oaks. The Mediterranean environment becomes part of the house.
The relationship between the house and its surroundings is underlined by the materials and colours used. The stone, the earthy tones and the off-white make the construction blend in with the surroundings and take root with the mountain that houses it.