map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba
all images courtesy of eme3

 

 

 

serving as a container for different activities during the international architecture festival eme3 in barcelona, the build it team, ‘map 13’ created ‘bricktopia’. the vaulted structure is made from brick and employs a traditional construction technique called tile vault – or ‘catalan vault’. designed using new digital tools, the geometry of the form was optimized through ‘rhinovault’, a plug-in for rhinoceros. a series of research was conducted to explore material traditions and construction knowledge of tile vaulting combined with advanced computational tools. the pavilion was developed in an enclosed area of a nineteenth-century factory, also made of brick, it shapes a new topography in the old courtyard. providing an open space for outdoor activities during the hot summer of barcelona, the structure contains areas for a bar, small stage and places to relax. the concave space was built in a short time frame and with a limited budget – it is an economical and sustainable form that offers both formal and functional versatility.

 

 

map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
the vaulted structure combines traditional vaulted construction with new digital tools to make the complex form
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

 

 

map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
the enclosure serves as a container for different activities
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

 

 

map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
‘bricktopia’ contains areas for a bar, small stage and places to relax
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

 

 

map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
interior view of the sculptural structure
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

 

 

map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
‘bricktopia’ shapes a new topography in the old courtyard, in an enclosed area of a nineteenth-century factory

 

 

map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
the pavilion was initiated as part of the international architecture festival eme3 in barcelona
image © eme3

 

 

map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
a small stage for performances was created within the versatile pavilion
image © eme3

 

 

map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
‘bricktopia’ construction
image © eme3

 

 

map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
the use of new digital techniques enabled a complex, vaulted form
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

 

 

map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
detail of the structure
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

 

 

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