The São Pau Research Institute, designed by PichArchitects - Pich-Aguilera and 2BMFG Arquitectes, is part of the historic complex of this hospital, adjacent to the large-scale Casa de la Convalescència - a UNESCO monument, completed only in 1930 as an example of Catalan Art Nouveau style. This former hospital building has now been taken over by the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
To coordinate the new building with the historical "neighbor", but avoid copying, the architects chose curved ceramic plates for the facades, which are mounted on it like an openwork curtain - protecting from the heat of the sun, but not preventing the light from entering. The outer side of the plates - the colors of natural terracotta - echoes the tone of the Casa de la Convalescència facades, and from the inside of the building, or when viewed from below or from the side, their “wrong side” is visible, covered with colored glaze. Its shades are taken from the mosaic covering of the domes of the historic building - more precisely, they remind of the color of these domes before.
The building with a total area of 9,700 m2 has two underground levels and four aboveground levels. It is conceived as a prefabricated building in order to reduce construction time and costs, and most importantly, to reduce its impact on the environment. For the same reason, instead of demolition, dismantling is possible, after which the materials can be reused.
However, in order to delay the demolition, each 80m x 11m floor is devoid of supports, which allows it to be divided as desired, adapting to the new function. Thus, the building will be able to remain in demand as long as possible.
As far as possible, the project did without all the unnecessary components: suspended ceilings, railings, various kinds of coatings. Selected materials - with low environmental impact and low carbon footprint (as opposed to, for example, stainless steel).
Solar panels are installed on the canopy above the roof, and it is planned to be planted with greenery itself. Rainwater is collected in a 40 cm thick cistern with an area equal to the entire roof. It serves as a thermal and acoustic buffer, protecting the building from overheating and noise, and the water goes to irrigate the roof and to the toilet cisterns.
The construction also affects the air quality in the city: the façade at the ground floor level is covered with photocatalytic particles, which are capable of capturing and breaking down air pollutants.
The cost of the building is 1,300 euros per square meter, which makes it economical.
