red microcement pairs with onyx marble to reframe brutalist barcelona duplex

Concrete and Glazed Ceramics Anchor Renovation by LOBB Studio

LOBB Studio renovates a ground-floor duplex in Josep Lluís Sert’s Les Escales Park in Barcelona, preserving the building’s exposed concrete structure and vaulted slabs while restoring original glazed ceramics and introducing new materials including red microcement, travertine, natural oak, and a three-meter panel of Onyx Picasso marble.

Designed by Josep Lluís Sert and completed in 1974, Les Escales Park received the FAD Architecture Prize the same year. Fifty years later, LOBB Studio undertook the renovation of one of the complex’s ground-floor duplex apartments in Barcelona’s Pedralbes district. The residential complex is based on the repetition of a single unit comprising two duplex apartments, drawing on Le Corbusier’s Immeubles Villa prototype. Each apartment is defined by two blind side walls, with social areas oriented south and service spaces facing north.

The building’s architectural character is defined by exposed concrete pillars and vaulted precast slabs, combined with elements of local tradition, including Mallorcan shutters, green and ochre glazed ceramic tiles from La Bisbal, and white stone cladding. The renovation retains this material and structural framework while reconsidering the organization of the home according to the occupants’ current needs.

the original facade of Les Escales Park with its green and ochre glazed ceramics | all images ©Ariadna Puigdomènech

Open Plan Reorganizes the Duplex Around a Sculptural Staircase

On the ground floor, the removal of partition walls creates a continuous interior comprising the kitchen, dining area, and two sitting spaces arranged around a central core. The open layout takes advantage of the privacy provided by the surrounding century-old woodland, establishing visual and physical connections between the north and south facades. The service kitchen, laundry, and guest bathroom remain enclosed.

A generous entrance hall combines a travertine floor with natural oak parquet and leads toward the central staircase. Treated as a sculptural element, the staircase is finished in red microcement, referencing the color of the vestibule walls in Sert’s original design. A lithograph by Joan Miró from the owners’ collection is positioned alongside it.

Upstairs, the original number of bedrooms is retained, with the rooms adapted to the requirements of the current occupants. The renovation by LOBB Studio also restores architectural details that had been concealed or altered by previous interventions. At the center of the plan, a double-height void connects the two floors. A three-meter-high panel of natural Onyx Picasso marble occupies this space, its tones selected to correspond with the original glazed ceramics while emphasizing the verticality of the interior.

the sculptural staircase, clad in red microcement, recalls the vestibule of Sert’s original building

Two-Level Terrace Extends the Duplex into Its Woodland Setting

The renovation extends into the exterior through a two-level terrace. The covered, double-height section retains and restores the original ceramic tiles before opening onto an uncovered terrace that connects with the surrounding woodland. Clay tile flooring, a metal pergola wrapped in timber slats and climbing plants, and Mediterranean planting define the outdoor setting, which incorporates an outdoor kitchen and several seating areas.

The project combines the preservation of Sert’s original structure and material language with a revised spatial organization and a contemporary palette. Exposed concrete, vaulted ceilings, glazed ceramics, and local architectural elements remain central to the apartment, while red microcement, travertine, oak, and natural onyx introduce new material layers that reinforce the existing forms and adapt the duplex to contemporary domestic use.

red lacquered staircase, Miró lithograph and an Oluce ‘Atollo’ brass lamp mark the transition into the home

looking from the entrance hall to the terrace, an original concrete pillar meets new walnut slat joinery

a walnut-clad volume hides storage beneath the original vaulted concrete ceiling

the kitchen island, carved from Cristallo Superiore quartzite, beneath Gubi ‘Multi Lite’ brass pendant lamps

the dining area features Artisan ‘Latus’ walnut table, ‘Mosso’ chairs by Charlie Pommier, and the red stair

the lower terrace features restored ochre ceramic cladding, a green tiled staircase and an olive tree

on the upper terrace, a tiled outdoor kitchen sits beneath a timber pergola, framed by restored glazed ceramics

a bedroom with a ribbed walnut headboard wall and a Santa & Cole ‘Cesta Globo’ pendant light

project info:

name: Eulalia Anzizu
architects: LOBB Studio | @lobb_studio

lead designers: Roger Bosch & Josep Olm

location: Pedralbes, Barcelona, Spain

photographer: Ariadna Puigdomènech | @aripuigdomenech

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edited by: Christina Vergopoulou | designboom