a film portrait of bofill taller de arquitectura at work inside la fábrica

A Film Documenting La Fábrica as a Working Architecture Studio

A newly released short film, ‘To think conventionally at La Fábrica would be impossible,’ offers a look inside La Fábrica, presenting the former cement factory as the active working studio of Spanish practice Bofill Taller de Arquitectura it is today. Directed by Albert Moya, a filmmaker known for a series of architectural video portraits, the film moves between archival material and contemporary footage, situating the building within architects’ daily rhythms.

Early sequences draw from original photographs taken before renovation, showing the abandoned industrial structure in a state of decay. Concrete silos, conveyors, and load-bearing walls appear weathered and partially overtaken by dense vegetation, with trees and large plants emerging through openings in the structure and settling into its cavities.

all images via ‘To think conventionally at La Fábrica would be impossible’ by Albert Moya

Archival Drawings Trace the Cement Factory’s Transformation

Intercut with these photographs in the film are original hand-drafted architectural drawings of La Fábrica from the archive of Bofill Taller de Arquitectura. Elevations, axonometric views, and construction documents appear briefly on screen, their graphite lines and annotations conveying the precision of the initial transformation. The drawings register the building as a working document, with structure, circulation, and sectional depth rendered through measured linework.

These archival materials sit alongside footage by Albert Moya of the building as it stands today. The camera moves through tall interior volumes and exterior courtyards where concrete walls, staircases, and voids remain dominant. Light enters through large openings and irregular apertures, revealing the thickness of walls and the layered construction of the former factory.

archival photographs show the cement factory before renovation

bofill taller’s Contemporary Practice in a Historic Frame

The present-day sequences focus on the daily work of the studio’s architects. Teams gather around large tables, review drawings pinned to walls, and work at computer stations set against monumental concrete backdrops. Screens show three-dimensional models and augmented reality tools in use, while nearby, physical scale models are assembled by hand.

Throughout the video, the building remains an active workspace rather than a static backdrop. The long tables, shelves, and model-making areas sit directly within the former industrial volumes, their proportions shaped by the original factory layout. The coexistence of archival imagery, hand drawings, and contemporary digital tools situates La Fábrica as a site where past construction and present practice occupy the same physical ground, observed through its materials, spaces, and ongoing use.

concrete silos, walls, and voids define the character of the former industrial complex