EQUIP xavier claramunt: hotel arc del teatre

‘hotel arc del teatre’ by EQUIP xavier claramunt in barcelona, spain all images courtesy EQUIP xavier claramunt photographer: adria goula

spanish practice EQUIP xavier claramunt has completed ‘hotel arc del teatre’, a multi-storey accommodation located in barcelona’s historical neighborhood of el raval. a conversion project of a former theatre, the design preserves the original facade of the building – essentially conserving the memory of the structure – by wrapping the expansive face with a translucent screen.

street facade

drawing from the high dynamism of the site’s streetlife, the project explores ways in which the transference of energy can be established without losing the boundary of privacy, exploring the notion of ‘exhibitionist’ architecture. featuring a recessed ground level entry, a public plaza is generated which extends the street into the building and behind the hotel. an outdoor area covered in gravel on the south side offers views into a buried courtyard.

street entrance

finished in a visually graphic treatment, the wrap lends a new identity to the theatre while maintaining the characteristic outline of the facade underneath. the wrap reflects the changing light of the day and season and alters its exterior expression through the illumination within. constructed out of vinyl, views into the units are limited while outward views are established.

the common spaces are placed below grade and benefit from natural daylighting through large asymmetrically-shaped wells. these structures both define and give character to the space, offering transparency into the inner workings of the hotel. the rooms are treated as ‘shelves’ and are plugged into the layout. recognizing that the main activities for a tourist in a hotel are washing and sleeping, the washroom and bedroom are pushed against the facade, establishing a direct visual connection with the street life.

south facade

overlooking the outdoor patio space below grade

extension of street underneath the hotel

underground common space

asymmetrically-shaped openings within levels

interior of hotel room

bathroom by the facade

site plan

floor plan / level -1

floor plan / level 0

floor plan / level +1

floor plan / level +2

section

street elevation

north elevation

concept

physical model

original facade

wrapped

view from south

construction shots

project info:

client: acta hotels S.L. built surface: 4,744 m2

promoter/owner: inversions riera sant miquel S.L. authors: EQUIP / zavier claramunt, martin ezquerro, pau rodriguez, marc zaballa collaborators: yago haro, miquel de mas, joan cuevas, javier luri, ho-sang, anne-sophie de vargas, oliver schmidt, carmen barbera, vicky pons, adam mendoza, sandra yubero, alex ortiz, hilda compte, oriol bordes, anna ramos foreman: joel vives engineer: aribau 70 S.L.