PROJECT: EXPANSION OF THE HOTEL “CONDES DE BARCELONA”

Collaborators: ORIOL CUSIDÓ, architect, JORDI PUJOL, architect, BERNUZ-FERNANDEZ arquitectos S.L. (structure), FELCA, (facilitites), RF2 ENGINYERS

LOCATION: Paseo de Gracia and Mallorca Street,250 , Barcelona

DATE: March 2004

SPONSOR: GESINMO 99 S.L.

BUILDER: DRAGADOS S.A.

BUDGET: 2.329.312,22 €

BUILT SURFACE: 4.698,20 m2

This project aims to augment one of the buildings of the hotel "Comtes de Barcelona", the building known as the "Center", from 74 rooms to 120, while providing it with new rooms and spaces for multiple uses. In addition to the expansion, the project also proposes a continuation of internal reforms in the "Center" to enable it to perform to a higher standard. The hotel will keep its four stars.

The most difficult and compromising decision has been the resolution of the external look of the building, whilst at the same time needing to resolve the join between the existing and new constructions so that both buildings can be understood as one whole, and to give them a modern and inviting look. All this, with the added difficulty of having to maintain a concurrent dialogue with both the lower older section of the existing building, which is heavy and solid, and the more recent, lighter glass section.

In the rear section, due to the complication of the party wall with the neighboring building, the alignment with neighboring building, and regularizing the facades of the inner 'apple' block, a patio of three meters wide by 12 meters long is proposed, leaving an area free from construction, allowing for proper ventilation of all rear rooms.

The first decision was to continue the green-skinned, all-glass look, to maintain the idea of being an extension.

The other decision to define a superimposed second skin was influenced by the following requirements: the need to establish a formal horizontal continuity with the older, stone section, of very strong lines and the need to place a filter to soften the effect of the glass inside the room.