CAN BATLLÓ
School of Arts
This project proposes the transformation of a former 19th-century textile warehouse in Barcelona’s La Bordeta neighbourhood into a new School of Fine Arts. The proposal emerges from a broader reflection on the recovery of community heritage and the preservation of a site historically connected to the labour movement and initiatives such as Coopolis.
The architectural strategy is grounded in preserving the building’s identity, original materiality, and existing façades, while limiting the intervention primarily to the interior in order to accommodate the new educational and cultural programme. Particular emphasis is placed on creating spaces that maximise natural light, making use of the warehouse’s large existing openings and introducing an interior second skin to enhance the quality and distribution of daylight throughout the building.
Keywords: Architectual project, Education building, materiality, preservation, Innovation, Circulation
Gallery
At the heart of the proposal is a central circulation core formed by an elliptical and circular ramp, 16 metres in diameter, unfolding across four vaults. With a gentle 3.5-degree slope, the ramp vertically connects the building’s three floors, functioning simultaneously as a circulation system, an exhibition space, and a continuous architectural promenade.
A central agora provides a collective gathering space, incorporating a tiered amphitheatre designed to accommodate debates, lectures, and talks. Around this central space, classrooms and workshops are strategically arranged along open, transversal circulation areas that encourage interaction, exchange, and informal encounters between students and the wider artistic community.
The project therefore seeks to establish a balance between preservation and transformation: maintaining the memory and architectural character of the former factory while introducing a flexible, open, and collective environment for artistic education and cultural exchange.